Theodore Roosevelt
President: 1901-1909
Took over after McKinley assassinated, left for Taft to take over, ran again in 1912 as 3rd Party
"We must see that each is given a
square deal…"
“When I say I believe in a square
deal I do not mean [that it is]
possible to give every man the best
hand…. All I mean is that there shall
not be any crookedness in the
dealing…. We must treat each man
on his worth and merits as a man.
We must see that each is given a
square deal, because he is entitled
to no more and should receive no
less….
The Square
Deal
The Three C’s of Square Deal
Corporations: Trusts are good and bad. Destroy
The bad trusts, keep good ones.
Consumer Protection: Safety in foods and medicines
For American citizens. Protect the Consumer
Conservation: Replenish destroyed resources and
Conserve the resources still available
Taking on Corporations
Northern Securities Company case:
Case taken to Supreme Court on Roosevelt’s insistence
Supreme Court ruled that combining the three companies violated the Sherman AntiTrust Act
TR viewed as a trustbuster (enforcer of Sherman)
1902 Anthracite Coal Strike
United Mine Workers go on strike, months pass with no end of strike
Winter approaching and miners still on strike
TR threatened to send in the Army to run the mines if nothing fixed.
Arbitration finally agreed upon and miners back to work
Corporation Reforms
Hepburn Act:
Strengthened ICC
ICC to set rates
1906
Bureau of
Corporations
1903
Investigate
corporations
Watch over Trusts
forming
Consumer Protection
Muckrakers exposed dangers to consumers
Poisons in medicines
Poorly prepared food products
Passage of the
Pure Food and Drug Act
Required labels and contents
To be listed on food/drugs
Passage of Meat Inspection Act
Federal inspection of meat
Standards in plants
Conservation Efforts
Newlands Reclamation Act passed in 1902
Federal funds to pay for conservation projects
and efforts
Creation of The Sierra Club: founded by John Muir
Supported by Teddy Roosevelt
TR added millions of acres of land to protected forests
Created 5 new national parks
Election of 1912
Teddy Roosevelt: Bull Moose (Progressive) party
William Howard Taft: Republican Party
Woodrow Wilson: Democrat Party
Eugene V. Debs: Socialist Party
New Nationalism vs. New Freedom
TR running as a 3rd Party ensured a Republican loss by SPLITTING
Republican voters between him and Taft
Debs ran a strong Socialist Party campaign
Major ideologies were between TR’s New Nationalism and
WW’s New Freedom plans
New Nationalism of TR
New Freedom of WW
Destroy “BAD” trusts
Destroy “ALL” trusts
Protect women/children in labor
Pro-Small Business
Workman’s compensation
Smaller Federal Government
New Federal Trade Commission