Woody and Progressivism
Dec 24, 2015
Assaulting the Triple Wall of Privilege
Tariffs
Trusts
Banks
Reforming the 3 sectors that hurt the common man
The Tariff Issue
Lower tariffs would force Americans to producebetter products and lower prices
Wilson appeared in Congress push for lower Tariff.
High Tariffs means high prices on American products
Result: Underwood Tariff passed in 1913
Cut tariff average to half of rate from 1890’s
One provision also called for levying direct income tax on individuals
Led to passage of 16th Amendment, a federal income tax
Reforming the Banking Industry
From 1830-1913 there was NO central bank toregulate financial institutions and crises that hit
Wilson supported creation of a Federal Reserve system12 regional banks to hold local banks deposits
Board of Governors created to set interest ratesthat the Fed banks would charge banks for loans
Could control amount of money in circulation
1913: Congress passes and Wilson signs into law
Federal Reserve Act
Strengthening Anti-Trust Power
Wilson was anti-monopoly
Wanted more competition
Federal Trade Commission: 1914
Investigate bad companies that engagedin unfair trade or worked to stifle competition
FTC was to work with big businessinstead of merely breaking them up.
Work to limit activities that limitedcompetition
Strengthening Anti-Trust Power
Clayton Antitrust Act
Progressives sought more and passedthis bill to add more teeth to theSherman Antitrust Act
•Banned retailers not selling competitors products
•No price changes for different customers
•No discounts from manufacturers for large sales
•Declared unions legal and legal to strike
•“Magna Charta” of Laborers
Attacking Child LaborCartoon showing workers in a coal mine
Progressive reformers usedCartoons to promote the Need for Child Labor Laws
Reforming Child Labor under Wilson
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
No employing kids under 14 in factoriesproducing products for Interstate commerce
Later ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court because
Child Labor is not interstate commerce
What they made was, but Children were not
Progressive Limits and shortcomings
Progressives did little for Civil Rights in America
WEB DuBois therefore helped to found NAACP
What it did do.Greatly changed the role the government was beginning to play
Helped improved quality of life for almost all Americans
Expanded rights for women and children