Progressivism from the White House

Teddy Roosevelt became President in 1901 when President William McKinley was shot by an anarchist.

Roosevelt became the youngest person to serve as President

As President, Roosevelt saw his office as a bully pulpit - a platform to publicize important issues and seek support for his policies

President Teddy Roosevelt

Early in his presidency, Roosevelt worked with mine owners and striking workers to compromise. This marked the first time that the government successfully intervened in a strike

Roosevelt then promised the country a “square deal”, meaning that the needs of workers, business, and consumers should be balanced.

The Square Deal had two main areas of focus: big business and environmental conservation

The Square Deal

Teddy Roosevelt was known as a trust buster – Roosevelt was the first President to sue a company for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The Roosevelt administration sued dozens of companies for forming trusts and monopolies that it believed was not in the best interests of the people.

Roosevelt especially went after trusts that sold inferior products, competed unfairly, or corrupted public officials

Big Business

In 1903 Congress passed the Elkins Act – prohibited railroads from giving discounts to its favorite customers and overcharging others

In 1906 the Hepburn Act gave the government power to set maximum railway rates

Railroads

During the Progressive Era consumers were angered over food quality and safety

Anger turned into outrage and disgust when Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle which exposed the unsanitary and disgusting conditions at meatpacking plants.

NPR: The JungleAfter reading The Jungle and sending his own investigators

that confirmed Sinclair’s findings, Roosevelt pushed for the passage of two laws

1) Meat Inspection Act – required federal inspection of meat shipped across state lines

2) Pure Food and Drug Act – forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of food and medicine containing harmful ingredients.

Protecting Consumers

President Roosevelt realized the need to protect part of America’s land for future generations

Roosevelt set aside millions of acres of land, established the U.S. Forest Service, and helped to create 18 national monuments

Environmental Conservation

In 1908 Roosevelt made sure that his friend and advisor William Howard Taft became President

During Taft’s presidency the 16th Amendment was passed – created the income tax that Progressives felt was a more fair method of taxation

Due to a disagreement between Taft and Roosevelt the Republican Party split, allowing the 1912 Presidential election to be won by the Democrat Woodrow Wilson

The Socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs received 900,000 votes

President Taft

During his campaign Wilson promised continued Progressive reform, which he called his New Freedom

Wilson and Congress created the Federal Reserve System in 1913 which allowed for banks to borrow money to prevent a collapse during bad financial times.

Congress also passed the Clayton Antitrust Act which extended the Sherman Antitrust Act

Wilson also supported the creation of the Federal Trade Commission – enforced antitrust laws and punished companies that used deceptive advertising.

President Wilson

While Wilson could be considered progressive in his business and political ideas, he was far from it when it came to civil rights

Wilson opposed an anti-lynching lawAllowed Cabinet members to segregate their

officesDuring his presidency Washington D.C.

passed a law that made it a felony for blacks and whites to marry

He segregated the navyHe segregated the entire federal government

system, which had been open to blacks since Reconstruction

President Wilson

The End of Progressivism