Wilsonian Progressivism
at Home and Abroad
(1912-1916)
Chapter 29
Election of 1912
Bull Moose Party
(Progressive Party)
Candidate:
Teddy Roosevelt
Program title: New Nationalism
Democrats
Repbulicans
Woodrow Wilson
William Taft
New Freedom
N/A
Platforms:
- Consolidation of trusts and labor unions – Fragmentation of Business - Status Quo
controlled by Big Government
(Jeffersonian idealism)
(Big gov’t controls Big Business)
- unregulated, unmonoplistic economy
- women’s suffrage –
- No social-welfare proposals
- social welfare,
- competition, not regulation
- min. wage
- social insurance
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who was Herbert Croly? The Promise of American Life (1912)
Why was Wilson elected? Republican party split
What was the mandate evident in the election results? What issue was the winner?
- Progressivism
Name several of the significant outcomes of the Election of 1912.
- Progressive Party not elected to state/federal offices and thus will die for lack of
patronage trough
- Socialists believed they were making inroads and might get the White House in
eight years.
- Wilson tallied less popular votes (41%) than Bryant in any of his three electoral
bids, but still won. Shows fracturing of the Rep. party.
Woodrow Wilson’s Presidency (1912-1916)
5.
Characterize Wilson’s personality and background:
Scholar, reformist as seen as governor of N.J. – Biblical, pious, Southern with its
perspectives / great orator, cold/snobbish in person/ lacked common touch /
uncompromising/ inflexible stubbornness.
** 6. What was the “Third Rail of Politics” that Wilson was adept at appealing to and
from whence he derived his power?
- Appeals to the people – the public – called Special sessions of Congress to
make grand pronouncements
Wilson and Economic Progressivism (1913-1916)
Attacking the “The Triple Wall of Privilege” – Banks – Trusts - Tariffs
7.
-
For each of the areas below:
State the background and obstacles in each area–
The actions or bills that Wilson proposed to remedy them with an
explanation.
An evaluation of the success or limited nature of the outcome
Tariffs
Issue:
Solution:
Evaluation
Tariff rates too high – (Payne-Aldrich Tariff)
Underwood Tariff Bill
- substantially reduced the tariffs
- graduated income tax ($3,000)
- income tax will outstrip revenues from tariffs by 1917
Banking
Issue:
Solution:
Eval.:
Pujo Committee – “money monster” – money controlled by a few banks
Louis Brandeis – Other People’s Money and How the Bankers Use it
- Banking Monopoly
Decentralized bank in government hands
(not a huge private bank with 15 branches)
Federal Reserve Act (1913) – 12 regional banks/ banker’s bank/
- Federal Reserve Board that could issue Fed. Reserve Notes
Red letter – increased elasticity of currency and carried the US through
the First World War / Took control out of hands of Moneyed trusts
Trusts
Issue:
Solution:
Trusts still dominating the courts and country/ Unions are being treated
as “combinations in restraint of trade” (Danbury Hatters Case where
Hatters Union was assessed triple damages)
Federal Trade Commission (1914) – Pres. appointed commission to
investigate:
- unfair trade practices
- unlawful competition
- false advertising
Eval:
- mislabeling of food
- adulteration and briberty
Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914):
- lengthened outlawed practices to include price disc., interlocking
directorates
- exempted labor and agricultural organizations from trust leg.
- legalized strikes and peaceful picketing
FTC – Wilson will appoint Conservative business types early on
Clayton – Conservative Fed. judges won’t interpret labor provisions
broadly.
- Overall, banner leg. as to precedents and controlling Big. Business
Wilson and “Labor (Social) Progressivism” (1916)
8.
Explain each of the pieces of legislation below:
Federal Farm Loan Act – low interest rate loans to farmers
LaFollette Seaman’s act – decent treatment and living wage
Workingmen’s Compensation Act –gov’t assistance to fed. civil service employees
if disabled
Child Labor Law – restriced child labor on interstate products
Adamson Act – 8-hour workday for interstate RxR co.s/ OT pay
* 9.
What catalyst caused Wilson to advocate some social progressive programs of the
Bull Moosers in 1916?
- the 1916 election. World War I
** 10. What areas did Wilson not advocate?
African – American equality / Women’s rights though he will pick up this banner
as well.
Wilsonian Foreign Policy
11.
Watchful Waiting – (Idealism) Wilson originally wanted to create moral
regeneration in US foreign policy. He supported Bryan’s anti-imperialism and
wished to use American moral and economic force to change bad behavior
(economic non-recognition of bad regimes, etc.), not military intervention.
Discuss this in terms of his actions concerning Dollar diplomacy, Philippines and
in Mexico in the early months of the revolution (p. 687)
-
Dollar – refused to back up US investments in the 6-power loan to China and thus
investors will back out in Manchuria
Phil. – Jones Act – Makes Philippines a territory and will give Philippines
independence once stable gov’t established. (1946)
-
-
Mexico – Non-recognition policy – will not recognize the Huerta regime
and will refuse to send in troops right away.
12.
Continuation of “Big Stickism” (Realism) Wilson will switch from electoral
claims of pacifism and anti-imperialism when reality sets in later in 1914. Define
this switch by discussing his actions in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands
and Mexico.
Haiti and Dom. Rep. – will send in the marines
Virgin Islands. – will purchase from Denmark to keep out of the hands of Huns
Mexico – aids Carranza and Poncho Villa
- Vera Cruz – Am. Navy seizes.
- Sends in Pershing Expedition (1917) to put down Poncho Villa (killed 19
Americans in Columbus, N.M) but will not be able to capture him
-
American Neutrality in WWI –
1914-1916
13.
14.
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15.
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16.
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What historical ties did Britain have to the US? What historical ties did
Germany?
Bri. – linguistic and economic ties
Ger. – 11 million immigrants had blood ties to the Central powers
Why did the US public tend to favor the British (over) the Germans?
British had historical ties, control of the transatlantic cables and control
of the oceans and thus trade with America / Bri. propaganda machine here
Germany was locked out of trade and after the briefcase incident in 1915 (Dr.
Albert’s Briefcase) Germany made to look sinister
Wilsonian neutrality – “The US will have trade remain open with the entire
world” – so why would Germany be upset by this for they had equal access?
Bri. Navy controlled the seas and munitions could not be carried aboard the
subs
How did both sides violate U.S. neutral shipping rights? Which country’s actions
were deemed more sinister and why?
Bri. forced Am. shipping into Bri. ports to stop potential trade with Germany
Ger. – sunk neutral shipping without warning. –
Ger. was deemed more barbaric for it was inhumane loss of life. British
violations were worked through with diplomatic notes.
17.
German U-Boat attacks– Define the terms on the list below that
show the increasing volatility of Germany’s u-boat attacks and the resulting
American response
German Action
Wilson’s Response
unrestricted submarine warfare –
Ger. will sink merchant ships in and around
the Bri. islands with warning
N/A – Keeps US ships on
the high seas
Lusitania (May 1915) –
1,198 killed, 128 Americans/ did have war
materials on board
“strict accountability” –
Germany will be held in
strict accountability for all
the ships and lives lost
(Bryan resigns)
Sussex Ultimatum –
Any more ships sunk will
break diplomatic ties –
prelude to war
sinking of the Arabic and Sussex
Bri. liner sunk – 2 Am. killed
Sussex – Fr. liner
Election of 1916
18.
19.
-
Party ?
Candidate
Platform
Democrat
Wilson
Kept us out of War
Hughes wins – Roosevelt will lead charge
into war
Republicans
Charles Evans Hughes anti-Dem. tariff
- assailed Wilson’s wishy-washiness with
Mexico and Germany
- assaults on trusts caused instability
Why did Wilson win?
Mid-westerners liked his progressive stances and anti-war positions (much Ger.
influence)
Hopes by laborers to stay out of the war yet reap economic benefits nonetheless.