AP CHAPTER 30: Wilsonian Progressivism at Home and Abroad (1912 – 1916)
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Wilson’s Domestic Policy
o Battled the “Triple Wall of Privilege”
 Tariff
 Underwood Tariff – reduced tariffs
 Graduated Income Tax – 16th Amendment
 Income Tax became largest gov’t revenue
 Banks
 Federal Reserve Act – decentralized bank under gov’t control & created
Fed. Res. Board who could issue paper money
 Trusts
 Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 – Created a commission who
acted as a safe-guard against monopolies
 Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914 – stronger than Sherman ATA & helped
labor unions
o Other Reforms
 Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 – low-interest credit given to farmers
 Warehouse Act of 1916 – loans to farmers on staple crops
 Highway construction projects
 Ag programs at state colleges
 La Follette Seamen’s Act of 1915 – helped sailors’ rights on merchant ships
 Workingmen’s Compensation Act of 1916 – gave aid to fed. employees on
disability
 Restricted child labor
 Adamson Act of 1916 – 8-hour workday for train employees + overtime
o Louis Brandeis – nominated to Supreme Court by Wilson in 1916
 Huge Progressive reformer
 1st Jewish Justice
o Did NOT help African Americans – supported segregation

Wilson’s Foreign Policy
o NOT aggressive
o Hated imperialism, Big Stick Policy, Dollar Diplomacy
o No more support for US investors in Latin America and China
o Repealed Panama Canal Tolls Act
o Jones Act of 1916 – gave Philippines terr. status & promised independence
o Reluctant to get involved in foreign affairs, but did anyway
o Latin America
 Nicaragua – Continued Occupation
 Dominican Republic & Haiti – Renewed Presence
 Sent marines to put down rebellions in DR
 Sent marines to protect Americans when president ousted in Haiti
 Signed treaty to supervise Haitian finance and police
 Purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark
 Mexico – Missionary Diplomacy
 Interference in Domestic Affairs – Mexican Revolution
o Refused to recognize new Huerta regime
o Sent weapons to Huerta’s opposers (Carranza and Pancho Villa)
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Tampico Incident
o Amer. Sailors arrested, but released with apologies
o Wilson (hating Huerta) asked Congress to use force against
Mexico
Vera Cruz – Wilson seized control after Tampico
Niagara Falls Conference (ABC Powers mediate)
o Huerta regime falls
o Carranza succeeds him – Wilson supports him
o Pancho Villa challenges Carranza and begins killing Americans (to
provoke war b/t US and Mex.)
Pershing’s Raid
o Sent to capture Villa, but failed
o US troops withdrawn – 1917 (WWI)
WWI Begins in Europe (1914)
 Causes (5):
o Militarism
o Imperialism
o Secret Military Alliances
o Nationalism
o “The Spark” – assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (A-H)
 Each nation was pulled into the fight because of alliances
 Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Turkey), and later Bulgaria
 Allies: Britain, France, Russia (later Italy, Japan)
 Wilson decides to remain neutral
o Britain portrays Germany as brutal monsters
o Americans related to Europeans (immigrants)
o Anti-German attitude
o US sells war products to Britain and France – pulls US out of recession
o US would have sold to Germany but couldn’t b/c of British blockade
o Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfare
 U-boats sink the Lusitania (128 Amer. killed) 1915
 Amer. still divided over going to war
 Ger. sinks several more passenger liners
 Election of 1916
o Dem. – Wilson (slogan – “He kept us out of war”) – supported by working class and
some progressives
o Rep. – Charles Evans Hughes
o Progressives – Die out b/c TR refuses to run
o Wilson barely wins (277 – 254)