
Turn, Talk & Write:

In the view of Progressives, what was wrong with
American society? What solutions did they try to
use? Be specific.
Period 7. Part II. Progressivism.
7.3--Chapter 29 Roosevelt & Taft

Evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Era
reformers and the federal government in
bringing about reform at the national level. In
your answer be sure to analyze the successes
and limitations of these efforts in the period
1900-1920.



Born out of mid-western farmer’s movements
of the 1870’s and 1880’s: Greenback, Labor,
Populism
Influenced by the Christian welfare “Social
Gospel” movement
Mostly middle class men and women



Journalists who used their writing to expose
significant environmental, political and social
problems plaguing industrial America.
Heavy on the diagnoses (problems), light on
prescription (solutions)
Popular Muckrakers:





Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives, 1890
Lincoln Steffens, The Shame of the Cities, 1904
Ida M. Tarbell: published devastating expose, The History of
the Standard Oil Company,” 1904.
Upton Sinclair: The Jungle, 1906.
David G. Phillips: “Treason of the Senate,” 1906

Political




Social






Use government power to regulate “interests,” i.e. trusts
Limit “socialist threat” by improving common person’s living and
working conditions
Make government more responsive to the people & less influenced by
corrupt political machines/big business
Clean up the cities: tenements, child labor, disastrous working
conditions, pollution
Consumer protection
Women’s suffrage
Temperance
Lynching, racism & poverty in Af/Am communities
Environmental


Conservation: responsible use of land, natural resources
Balance tourism, preservation, exploitation

Sourcing:


Identify author, source, date.
Close Reading:
What specific economic, environmental, political or social
problem is being described?
 Be clear and thorough when describing the problem in your
own words.


Contextualize:
Referring to your notes, what specific reform(s) were enacted
to address each problem?
 Provide key information including significant actors
(muckrakers/progressives), reforms, and dates.


Analyze:

To what extent can reform be considered a successful? To
what extent did reform reveal the limitations of government?

List the five most important achievements of
Roosevelt’s presidency. Rank them in order of
importance and justify your ranking.

Groups of three

What were the three major components of T.R.’s “Square Deal”
program?

Jigsaw each component:
 Identify
 What specific reforms were enacted under T.R.’s presidency to address
this component?
 Describe the intended and actual impact of these reforms.
 Analyze:
 What does this reform reveal about Roosevelt’s political philosophy?
 Evaluate:
 In the context of the Progressive Era, was each reform effective?
 Taking a broader historical perspective, was each reform effective?

Evaluate:

To what extent is it valid to call T.R. a “trust-buster”?

Assess the effectiveness of T.R.’s “Square Deal”
program.
 What are its successes?
 What are its limitations?
 What are its lasting legacies?



Analyze: In what ways did Taft’s political
philosophy overlap with Roosevelt’s? In what
ways was Taft his own man—both in terms of
domestic and foreign policy?
Analyze: What contributed to Taft and
Roosevelt’s personal split?
Evaluate: Was Taft more or less effective in
bringing about reform at the national level than
his predecessor?

Who were the candidates?

Who won?

Why was this election historically significant?
For the winning political party?
 For the losing political parties?
 For the Progressive movement?



Analyze: In what ways did Wilson’s political
philosophy overlap with Roosevelt’s and
Taft’s? In what ways did Wilson differ—both
in terms of domestic and foreign policy?
Evaluate: Was Wilson more or less effective in
bringing about reform at the national level than
his predecessors?

Evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Era
reformers and the federal government in
bringing about reform at the national level. In
your answer be sure to analyze the successes
and limitations of these efforts in the period
1900-1920.

Evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Era
reformers and the federal government in
bringing about reform at the national level.