Theodore Roosevelt

A Progressive President

Ch. 4, Sec. 4

Rise to the Presidency

Harvard grad; Columbia law school

New York State Assembly

NYC Board of Police Commissioners

Assistant Sec. of Navy

“Rough Riders” = war hero

Gov. of NY- Progressive

Angered Rep. Party leaders

“Kicked upstairs” to V.P.

McKinley assassinated in 1901

“Make Him Harmless”

“Our New Watchman” by Thomas Nast

Rise to Power

Rise to Power

Ideal Toy “Teddy Bear” and the

cartoon that inspired it

*Domestic Policy: Square Deal

*Domestic: having to do with the home

1902 Coal Strike

*arbitration: the use of a neutral third party to settle a labor dispute

Threatened to use federal troops to force owners to negotiate (1st time!)

Railroad Regulation

Problem: Interstate Commerce Commission- weak

Elkins Act (1903): outlawed special rates

Hepburn Act (1906): gave ICC power to set max. rates

“T. R.’s Ultimate Wrestling Opponent”

*Trustbusting

Use of lawsuits to break up monopolies

Used Sherman Antitrust Act

Example:

Northern Securities Company (RR)

40 other lawsuits

“Good” vs. “Bad” trusts

Regulation of Food and Drugs

*Meat Inspection Act:

Federal gov’t inspects meat packing plants

Inspired by The Jungle

*Pure Food and Drug Act:

Federal inspection of food and drugs

Banned impure or mislabeled food and drugs

Later– FDA

Natural Resources

*Conservation: protection of some wilderness areas; development of others

Gifford Pinchot and T.R.

Forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries (51)

National Parks (5) (map)

National Reclamation Act: fed. gov’t makes decisions on water distribution

Dams, reservoirs in West = development

*Preservation: policy of leaving wilderness areas completely untouched

John Muir

Teddy and

naturalist John

Muir on Glacier

Point, Yosemite

Valley, CA

William Howard Taft, T.R.’s

handpicked successor

Taft Playing Golf

Taft’s Bathtub (he did NOT get stuck in one)

Election of 1912

All candidates have progressive values

Republican: William H. Taft (incumbent)

Democrat: Woodrow Wilson

Progressive (Bull Moose): T. Roosevelt

Winner? Why?

Wilson

Due to split in Republican vote