Chapter 28: Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt (1901-1912)

Progressives (definition): crusaders called "progressives" waged war against monopoly, corruption, inefficiency, and social injustice

    *similar to reform movement of 1840's

    *wanted to "strengthen the state" through government

The Roots of Progressivism(Brittany)

• The outworn philosophy of hands-off individulaism seemed increasingly out of place in the modern machine age
• Progressive theorists were insisting that society could no longer afford the luxury of a limitless or laissez-faire policy
• Well before 1900 perceptive politicians and writers had begun to pinpoint targets for the progressive attack

Muckrakers (Laura)

• dug up dirt on politics and business in hopes of ending social injustices
• tried to stop racism, industrial accidents, and child labor
• wrote magazines and books -McClure's Cosmopolitan, Collier's, and Everybody's
• named "Muckrackers" by Roosevelt because he thought they were too focused on digging up dirt

Political Progressivism (merri)

•   Progressivism - minority monement, majority mood.
•  2 main goals were  to use state power to curb trusts, and stem socialist threat by improving people's life and labor conditions.
•  Objectives were a direct primary elections, "referendum", root out corruption, and direct election of U.S. Senators.
  • 17th Ammendment - direct election of U.S. Senators.

Progressivism in the Cities and States (Jordan)

• Place where the progressives most impressive gains happened.
• Localites followed the pioneering example of Galveston, Texas.
• Urban reformers attacked the areas that were bribed by police.
• Robert M. La Fottette was described as the most militant of the Republican progessive leaders.  He bacame governor of Wisconsin in 1901.  He brought control back to the people.

Progressive Women (merribeth)

• Settlement house movement - gave women skills, exposed to more working areas, exension of womens's roles as wife and mother 
• Women's Trade Union League, Children's Bureau, and Women's Bureau were created.
• Campaigning for factory reform and temperance led to the court case Muller v. Oregon which made laws protecting women workers.

TR's Square Deal for Labor (Jordan)

• Made for capital, labor, and the public at large.
• Embraced the three C's control of

                           Corporations,

                           Consumer protection

                           Conservation of natural resources.

• Used in 1902 when the miner in Pennsylvania had a strike.  Urged Congress to make a new Department of Commerce and Labor.  This new department broke the stranglehold of the monopolies and made the way for a era of trust-busting.

TR Corrals the Corporations(Aaron)

• Roosevelt passed legislation which attacked industrialists to prove that the government not big business ruled the country
• Some laws that he passed were:

                                        1.) Elkins Act of 1903- fined railroads that gave rebates 

                                        2.) Hepburn Act of 1906- free passes on railroads were restricted    

                                        3.) Northeren Securities Decision-ordered a large company to be dissolved, this decision upheld Rosselvelts anti-trust movement                   

Caring for the Consumer(Hill)

• upton Sinclair's novel THE JUNGLE described nasty factories and what really goes into the meat we eat (unsanitary, filth, disease, and putrefaction)
• Roosevelt was disgusted!!!
• Therefore, he appointed special investigation to examine Chicago slaughterhouses.
• Congress passed Meat Inspection Act of 1906
• And the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was passed

Earth Control (Dan)

• Americans had been assuming that natural resources were unlimited and had been polluting the earth.
• Certain conservationists, such as Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot , thought that should be stopped and passed a number of laws to conserve the land.
• Desert Land Act of 1877-- The federal government sold barren land under the condtion that the purchaser would irrigate the land within 3 years.
• Forest Reserve Act of 1877--Allowed the president to set public forest aside as national parks and other reserves. 46 million trees were spared because of this act.
• Carey Act of 1894-- Distributed land so that it may be irragted and settled.
• Teddy Roosevelt was very effective in this area because of his leadership, prestige, energy and firsthand knowledge of the issue.
• Congress followed Roosevelt's lead by passing the Newlands Act of 1902. It said that Washington could collect money from the sale of public lands in the west and use it for irragation projects. 

"Roosevelt Panic" of 1907(Aaron)

• Roosevelt was blamed for the panic because of his boat-rocking tactics
• paved the way for fiscal reforms such as Aldrich-Vreeland Act. Which authorized national banks to issue emergency currency

Rough Rider Thunders Out (Brittan)

•  Roosevelt sought out a successor to carry out "my policies."
• Chose William Howard Taft, secretary of was and a mild progressive.
• At the Republican convention, Roosevelt pushed for Taft to gain the nomination. 
• Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan
• Taft read cut-and-dry speeches while Bryan griped that Roosevelt had stollen his policies from the Bryanite camp.
• Majority of voters chose stability with Roosevelt endorsed Taft who polled 321 electoral votes compared to 162 bor Bryan.
• Only suprise of the election was Socialists polling a decent portion of votes for Eugene V. Debs, hero of the Pullman srike of 1894
• Roosevelt left many contributions that lasted beyone his presidency.
• He enlarged the power and prestige of the presidential office, developed the technique of using the big stick as a political bludgeon. 
• He helped shape the progressive movement and liberal campaigns.
• Square Deal was grandfather of the New Deal later.
• TR opened Americans eyes to the fact taht they shared the world with other nations.

Legacy of TR (Carlson)

• began to tame capitalism;
• conservative of natural resources; took the middle road between preservatiives and "resource predators."
• enlarged the power of president
• showed Americans they had to share their world

Taft: Round Peg in a Square Hole (Brittan)

•  "Everybody loves a fat man."
• Graduated second in his class at Yale.
• Reputaion as a lawyer and judge.
• Hostiel to labor unions
• Trusted administrator under Roosevelt in the Philippines, at home, and in Cuba.
• Was a poor judge of public opinion

 "Dollar Diplomacy"

Taft the Trust Buster (Bryce)

Taft smashed monopolies

-over 90 suits against trusts in just 4 years in office compared to 44 for Roosevelt in 7 and half years

-two big suits, one over the Standard Oil Company and the other over the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1911. (this made Roosevelt mad because he initially brought up the suit and Taft just took it over, this led to the heat between Taft and Roosevelt in the 1912 Republican nomination)

Taft Splits the Republican Party

Taft-Roosevelt Rupture(Bryce)

-Roosevelt initially wasn't going to run for a third term, but after Taft getting rid of Roosevelt's policies he wanted to run for presidency again.

-Feb. 1912 he formally writes to seven states and says that he would accept the Reuplican nomination.

-Roosevelt under the Progessive banner

-came down to Repub. convention in Chicago (Roosevelt 100 delegates and Taft 250)

-followers of Roosevelt upset with Taft and eventually decided not to vote, which led Taft to victory!