Progressives in the White House

• President William McKinley is shot by an anarchist at the NY World’s Fair in 1901

• VP Theodore Roosevelt became president– 42yrs old = youngest president to take office– Strong supporter of Progressivism

Teddy Roosevelt– Came from wealthy NY family & was embarrassed by how

the rich acted– Wanted to end corruption & work for public interest– Worked for Civil Service Commission, headed the NY city

police department, then became assistant secretary of the Navy (led troops in the SPAM war 1898 = war hero) elected Gov. of NY until he became VP

Teddy Roosevelt•Mocked by other politicians as a “goo-goo” for

wanting “good government”• Upon taking Presidential office, he pledges to “make

an old party Progressive”

TR and Big Business

• TR sees a difference between good & bad trusts. It’s government’s job to control them or break them

• Good: efficient & fair & should be let alone• Bad: took advantage of workers & cheated public

Trustbuster: a person who wanted to destroy all trusts

- TR simply wants to regulate, not “bust” them- He’s the first President to side with labor in a union dispute (mediation is key)

Square Deal• TR promises the people a Square Deal: everyone

from farmers & consumers to workers & owners should have the same opportunity to succeed.

Consumers

– Shocked by The Jungle, TR sends newspaper companies copies of government reports exposing meatpacking plant conditions

– Muckrakers had exposed drug companies for making false claims about medicine

– Pure Food & Drug Act: 1906 passed by Congress- requires food & drug makers to list ingredients on packages. It worked to end false advertising & impure ingredients

Resources

- Industrialism = drain on natural resources- TR supports conservation: protection of natural resources• New trees planted where they were uprooted/ mining is

controlled to not waste coal• 194,000 acres set aside for national parks

– National parks: area set aside for people to visit, run by the federal government

Taft & Progressives– TR didn’t want to run for reelection in 1908 – he backs

William Howard Taft (his secretary of War)– “Taft’s policies, principles, purposes & ideals are the same

as mine. The Roosevelt policies will not go out with Roosevelt”

– Taft held the same values, but didn’t approach politics how TR did – doesn’t have as many followers

1912 – 3 Way Election

– TR comes back from hunting trips in Africa to see Taft isn’t doing too well

– He runs against Taft for Republican nomination• Taft is current Republican President (he wins the vote of the

presidential convention)

Progressive Republicans: Republicans in support of Teddy Roosevelt

• Progressive Republicans are annoyed at convention results & sets up a new party with TR as their candidate– He feels proud & says “I feel as strong as a bull moose”– This new party becomes known as the Bull Moose Party

•Democrats chose Woodrow Wilson (Progressive) as their candidate–Known as a brilliant scholar & a cautious

reformer

• TR & Taft were more popular BUT they split the Republican vote–This division = more solid votes for Wilson

A New Freedom

– New Freedom: President Wilson’s program to break up trusts and restore American economic competition

– Federal Reserve Act: 1913 Congress – sets up a system of federal banks. Gave government the power to raise or lower interest rates & control the money supply

Regulating Competition

• Federal Trade Commission: FTC – 1914 – power to investigate companies & order them to stop using unfair practices to destroy competitors

Today (In-Class)1. Make a ½ sheet with notebook paper2. Top Half: Draw a yin-yang

- What is something (anything) that plays a large role in YOUR life that is both good and bad? Something important… - 5 good aspects- 5 bad aspects- Why you chose what you chose

3. Bottom Half: You are running for president of your grade…- What will your “party” be called?- What will your logo look like & why (draw + be creative)- What aspects of society do you stand against?- What 5 principles will you stand for

- (Why would your peers vote for YOU & not someone else?…must be realistic)

HOMEWORK

1. Find an example of muckraking at homeMagazine, newspaper, internet article, etc…

2. Create your own “ballyhoo”-p. 640 as example…- Paste over any household item you don’t need anymore & we will display them