Progressive Presidents
President’s that are not laissez-faire.
PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENTS
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson
Theodore Roosevelt
Huge supporter of Progressive
Reform and forest conservation
His plan to fix America was the
Square Deal:
Keep the rich and powerful from taking advantage of small business owners and the poor
Make sure there is no corruption in government (ensure a square
[fair] deal)
Roosevelt the Reformer (Good and Bad Trusts)
Elkins Act: fined railroads that gave special rates/rebates to favored shippers
Set up because the Supreme Court had decreased the power of the
Interstates Commerce Commission (ICC)
Hepburn Act: strengthened the power of the ICC
Government can set and limit shipping rates
Set maximum prices for ferries, bridge tolls and oil pipelines
Northern Securities vs. US: Roosevelt broke up a railroad trust
(trustbuster or trust-tamer?)
Anthracite Coal Strike: Roosevelt helped coal miners on strike to get a pay raise and 9 hour workday
First time government had sided with workers
Roosevelt Cleans House
After the publication of The
Jungle, Roosevelt demands reform
Meat Inspection Act: government
inspects meat crossing state lines and inspects meat processing plants
Pure Food and Drug Act: placed the same controls on other foods and medicines
Labels on food
Consumed items are now tested and approved by the Food and Drug
Administration
William Howard Taft in Office
Hand picked by Roosevelt to carry on with his plans but
Taft set his own agenda
Did not distinguish between good and bad trusts…busted all big businesses that were unreasonable
Standard Oil and US Steel
Mann Act: gave the government control over telephone and telegraph rates
Payne- Aldrich Tariff: lowered tariffs but not enough to make Roosevelt happy
Led to many Progressives withdrawing their support for Taft
Progressive/Bull Moose Party
Roosevelt was so unhappy with Taft’s policies
Progressives form their own party (splits the
Republican party)
Roosevelt claims that he was as “strong as a bull
moose” to break up trusts (New Nationalism)
The Election of 1912
Progressives:
Roosevelt (17%)
Republicans: Taft (1%)
Democrats: Woodrow
Wilson (82%), had the best chance
Wins because the votes were split between Roosevelt and
Taft
Wilson’s New Freedom
Looked a lot like
Roosevelt’s New
Nationalism plan
Put strict government controls on big corporations (monopolies)
Provide more freedom for small businesses
Attacked tariffs, banks and trusts
Wilson in Office
16 th Amendment: graduated income tax
Wealthy pay a higher percentage than poor people
Federal Reserve Act: put banks under the control of the
government and Federal Reserve
Sets interests rates and the reserve rate (how much money banks must have in the bank)
Clayton Antitrust Act: strengthened previous antitrust laws and spelled out what trusts could not do
18
th
Amendment
Prohibition: Outlawed the production and sale of alcohol
Became law with the 18 th
Amendment
Supported by women who had supported Temperance
(moderation)
Carrie A. Nation attacked bars with hatchets and Bibles
Volstead Act: law that
enforced the amendment
Prohibition would improve families and society
“A noble experiment”
Result: increase in
organized crime to get liquor out
Moonshine
Rum runners
Read pages 507-510
Page 507: 4 RFQ
Page 510: 1-4
Read page 511
Answer the Analyze the Impact question.
Brown v Board of Education Information can be found on pages 911-913
