Progressivism and the Republican
Roosevelt
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Against:
Monopolies
 Corruption
 Inefficiency
 Social injustice
 Laissez-faire policy
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Jacob A. Riis
Photojournalism
Focused on housing and living conditions of
the poor in NY
Result of apathy of the rich
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1900 – 1 saloon for every 200 people in cities
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Women’s Christian Temperance Union
(WCTU)
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Gambling and prostitution
Anti-saloon League
1 million members
By WWI (1914) – ½ of pop lived in dry
territories
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Major cities wet
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Named by T.R. in 1906
Mudslinging magazines
Attacked governments, corporations, oil,
railroads, trusts, and social evils
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“The Treason of the Senate“ by David Phillips
Paid up to $3000 to receive accurate info
$.10 - $.15 Magazines
Led to books:
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“Following the Color Line” (1908)
“The Bitter Cry of the Children (1906)
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"the man who did nothing else was certain to
become a force of evil.”
“I hail as a benefactor…every writer or
speaker, every man who, on the platform, or in
book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless
severity makes such attack, provided always
that he in turn remembers that that attack is of
use only if it absolutely truthful”
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Goals
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(1) use state power to curb the trusts
(2) improve common person’s condition to prevent
socialism
Mostly middle class
Widespread
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Referendums and Initiatives
Recalls – remove corrupt officials
Secret ballots
Limit donations and gifts
Direct election of U.S. Senators
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17th amendment (1913)
Women – “Taxation Without Representation”
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Business outside of politics
Juvenile delinquency
Prostitution
Sale of franchises
Regulation of railroads, trusts, and public
utilities
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“An extension, not rejection of social norms”
Settlement house movement
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Literary Clubs
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Side door to public life
Open eye to poorer class conditions
Focused later on politics and current events
Women’s Trade Union League and National
Consumer League
Children’s Bureau (1912) and Women’s Bureau
(1912)
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Constitutionality of laws protecting women
workers
Closed male jobs to women
Paved way to less employer control in the
workplace
Answer questions on page 663
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NYC
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Lack of enforcement of factory regulations
146 workers died
Emergence of workmen’s comp
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3C’s (KNOW THESE)
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Control of Corporations
Consumer Protection
Conservation of Natural Resources
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PA
Schools and hospitals shut down
T.R. threatened to seize mines
10% pay raise and 9 hour days
1903
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Department of commerce
 Bureau of Corps – interstate commerce
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Elkins Act (1903) – Fines for giving and
receiving rebates
Hepburn Act (1906) – Bribery and free
enterprise restricted
Dissolved the Northern Securities Company
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J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill
Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug
Act of 1906
GOAL: Prove government power
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Desert Land Act of 1877 and Carey Act of 1894
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Purpose to irrigate and use western land
Forest Reserve Act of 1891
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46 million acres
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Newlands Act (1902)
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Irrigation projects from sale of public land
Dams (Roosevelt Dam in 1911)
Banned Xmas tree
Other projects
Jack London “Call of the Wild”
 Boy Scouts
 Sierra Club
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Selling of stocks
Criminal indictments against speculators
Fiscal Reforms
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Aldrich-Vreeland Act – national banks to issue
emergency currency backed with collateral
 Led to Federal Reserve Act of 1913
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Elected in 1908
Politically handicap (political cartoon pg 675)“
Dollar Diplomacy”
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U.S. $$ in foreign markets
Strengthen defense and foreign policy
Trustbuster
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Dissolved Standard Oil in 1911
 Sherman Anti-Trust Act
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Raised tariffs instead of lowering them
Allowed public lands to be opened for
development
Split the Rep. party
T.R. became an enemy
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Taft broke up U.S. Steel which T.R. had helped to
form
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T.R. decided to run for 3rd term
Convention in Chicago
Roosevelt supports claimed fraud and didn’t vote
 Taft won the nomination
 Roosevelt was not giving up…
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