Progressive Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt’s Rise
• Born into a wealthy New York family
• Suffered From Asthma
• So frail that he had to sleep propped up in
order to breathe
• Drove himself to accomplish demanding
physical feats
• Mastered Marksmanship and horseback
riding as a teenager
• At Harvard, he wrestled and boxed
• Served three terms on the New York State
Assembly
• Became New York’s police commissioner
• Served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy
• Volunteered for the Span-Am War
• Became governor of New York
• Became vice-president in 1900.
• McKinley died six months into his term
• Teddy became president
Trustbuster
• By 1900 “trusts” controlled 4/5’s of the
industries in the U.S.
• In 1890 Congress had passed the Sherman
Antitrust Act
• Roosevelt did not believe all trusts were
harmful
• He felt big business was essential to the
American economy
• In 1902, he ordered the Justice Department
to site the Northern Securities Company,
which had established a monopoly over
Northwestern railroads.
• In 1904, the Supreme Court broke up the
Northern Securities Company
• Roosevelt also attacked the beef trusts, oil
trusts, and the tobacco trusts.
• In all, he filed 44 antitrust suits.
• Overall, the government was unable to slow
the merger movement in business
Railroad Regulation
• The Elkins Act of 1903 - Made it illegal for
railroad officials to give, and shippers to
receive rebates for using particular railroads
• The Hepburn Act of 1906 - Strictly limited
the distribution of free railroad passes, a
common form of bribery. Gave the ICC
power to set maximum rates, subject to
court approval, whenever shippers
complained.
Meat Inspection Act
• After reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair,
Roosevelt appointed a commission to
invetigate the meatpacking industry.
• Meat Inspection Act of 1906 - Dictated
strict cleanliness requirements for
meatpackers and created the program of
federal meat inspection.
Pure Food and Drug Act
• Congress passed in 1906
• Halted the sale of contaminated foods and
medicines and called for truth in labeling
• Chemicals such as coal-tar dye and borax in
sausage, and formaldehyde in canned pork
and beans
• Products claimed to cure anything
• Children’s medicines often contained
opium, cocaine, or alcohol.
• Colden’s Liquid Beef Tonic, recommended
for “treatment of the alcohol habit,” itself
contained 26.5% alcohol.
• The act did not ban harmful products, but it
required truth in advertising
Conservation
• Before Roosevelt, the federal government
paid very little attention to the nation’s
natural resources.
• Roosevelt condemned the view that
America’s resources were endless.
• In 1903, John Muir, a naturalist and writer,
convinced Roosevelt to set aside 148
million acres of forest reserves
• Roosevelt established more than 50 wildlife
sanctuaries and several national parks.
• In 1905, Roosevelt named Gifford Pinchot,
a professional conservationist, as head of
the U.S. Forest Service
Civil Rights
• Roosevelt and the two presidents who
followed did little to advance the goal of
racial equality
William Howard Taft
• Elected President in 1908
• Considered a disaster for the Republican
party.
• More active and successful trustbuster than
TR
• Mann-Elkins Act (1910) – Extended the
ICC’s Jurisdiction.
• Taft set aside more land for reserve than TR
• 16th amendment – created federal income
tax
Political Problems
• Split the Rep. party
• Richard Ballinger was involved in selling
off reserved land in Alaska to J.P. Morgan.
• Taft sided with Gifford Pinchot, who had
accused Ballinger.
• Caused the split
• The Progressive party formed under the
leadership of TR.
• Taft and TR split the Republican vote
• Allowed Wilson to win the 1912 election.
Woodrow Wilson
• Wislon’s progressivism differed from TR
• TR wanted strong gov. to promote
economic and social order.
• TR wanted to protect business
• Also supported social well-fare, worker
compensation and the abolition of child
labor
• Wilson wanted limited roll in breaking up
monopolies and trusts.
• Wanted to prevent tariffs
• Felt social welfare was paternalistic
• Called his progressive plan “New Freedom”
New Freedom
• Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act (1913) –
Reduced duties and tariffs
• Federal Reserve Act – Created 12 regional
Federal Reserve Banks that were supervised
by the Federal Reserve Board.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) –
Oversaw business activity and prevent
illegal restrictions on competition
• Then announced no further reform was
necessary
• Refused to support women’s suffrage
• Believed that segregation was necessary
• Supported government segregation in
Government offices, shops, restrooms and
restaurants
Expanding Reform
• TR threatened to win the 1916 election
• Wilson then began to support changes that
were more in line with TR’s beliefs
• Felt he could steel TR’s votes this way
• Federal Farm Loan Act (1916) – Provided
farmers with federally funded loans
• Warehouse Act (1916) – Improved shortterm agricultural credit.
• Highway Act (1916) – funds to construct
and improve rural roads
• Keating-Owen Act – Prohibited interstate
shipment of products made with child labor
• Adamson Act – established 8 hour work day
for railway workers
• Kern-McGillicuddy Act – Provided
worker’s compensation for federal
employees.