The Progressive Presidents

Theodore RooseveltWilliam Howard Taft

Woodrow Wilson

After McKinley’s assassination◦ “Now look, that

damned cowboy is president.”—Mark Hanna

Inaugurated at age 42, youngest president ever

NYC Police Commissioner, 1895-1897◦ Friend of Jacob Riis

Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1897-1898

Spanish-American War, 1898◦ Roosevelt’s Rough Riders

Governor of New York, 1899-1900◦ Too progressive for many Republicans

Vice President, 1901

26th President, 1901-1909

Attended Harvard

Dakota Rancher (1884-1887)

NYC Police Commissioner (1895-1897

The Teddy Bear

Delivered a 20K word address to Congress asking it to curb the power of big corporations◦ Known as a “trust-

buster”◦ Brought 40+ anti-trust

suits to court Included biggest RR at

the time & Standard Oil Co. Standard Oil had to pay a

$29 million fine

One month in to office he invited Booker T. Washington to dinner at the White House◦ 1st time an African

American had been invited to the WH

◦ Outraged some white southerners

Phrase used as early as 1902; became slogan for re-election in 1904

Domestic program, 3 basic ideas:◦ 1. Conservation of natural resources

◦ 2. Control of corporations

◦ 3. Consumer protection

Newlands Reclamation Act, 1902◦ 21 federal irrigation

projects

National Forest Service est. in 1905

Created 5 Nat’l Parks & 18 Nat’l Monuments

148 million additional acres of forest put under federal protection

The Department of Commerce & Labor was created in 1903Elkins Act◦ Stopped practice of

RRs giving cheaper rates to favored companies

Hepburn Act◦ Strengthened ICC

Able to take on unfair practices used by RRs

Arbitration in Pennsylvania United Mine Workers strike◦ Ended strike

◦ Higher pay & fewer hours for workers

Worker’s Comp. for many federal employees in 1908

Meat Inspection Act & Pure Food and Drug Act◦ Both were inspired by

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

Was Roosevelt’s Secretary of War

Expected to carry on many of Teddy Roosevelt’s reforms

Set his own agenda

Filed twice as many anti-trust suits (than T. Roosevelt)

Mann-Elkins Act◦ Allowed ICC to regulate

telephone & telegraph companies

Payne Aldrich Tariff◦ Frustrated Progressives

◦ Raised rates on print paper

Est. Department of Labor & Federal Children’s Bureau

Mine safety laws

8 hour workday for Railroad workers

Restored Alaska land to the U.S. Forest Service

Protected more land than TR

More progressive than TR?????

But some missteps◦ Esp. firing of Gifford

Pinchot from Forestry Service Close friend of TR

◦ Reversal on tariff reform split the GOP

Gets less recognition though?

Only one term

Election of 1912

Later Chief Justice of SC

TR goes for the GOP nomination but loses

to Taft

TR forms the Progressive Party “Bull

Moose”

Woodrow Wilson wins the Democratic

nomination on the 46th ballot VP - WJB

- President of Princeton

- Governor of New Jersey

Voter Results

Popular Vote Electoral Vote

Wilson - 41.9% 435

Roosevelt - 27.4% 88

Taft - 23.2% 8

Took advantage of split in Republican party

Promised New Freedom – place strict controls on businesses

Underwood Tariff Act◦ Cut rates from 40% to 27%

Federal Reserve Act◦ Central banking system◦ Stabilized inflation

Clayton Anti-Trust Act◦ Exempted unions from anti-

trust laws◦ Limited injunctions

Federal Trade Commission◦ Promotes consumer

protection

Federal Farm Loan Act

Adamson Act◦ 8 hour work day for interstate RR workers

Federal Workmen’s Compensation Act◦ Compensation for wages missed due to work-

related injuries

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act◦ Short-lived, but prohibited sale of goods produced

by factories that employed children under the age of 14

16th—1913◦ Graduated Income

Tax

◦ Led to reduced tariffs

17th—1913◦ Direct election of U.S.

Senators

18th Amendment—1920◦ Prohibition of

alcoholic beverages

19th Amendment—1920◦ Women’s suffrage