Roosevelt's Progressivism
Known as the First Modern President- took over for McKinley after his assassination in 1901
Uses government to help out public interest- seen as a bully pulpit
Supported reform, but has a contradictory track record- more of a moderate than he leaded on
Bypassed congressional opposition, seen also in foreign policy in dealing with the Panama Canal
Enormously popular to a large population of the American people
Used presidency to gain support and preach ideas
Going to embrace the square deal for American people: three c's- control corporations, consumer protection, especially in meat industry, conservation of natural resources
Control of the Cooperation's
Anthracite Coal Mine Struck- 1902, Penn.Coal miners of the united mine workers union went on strike demanding fair weighting, better safety, shorter days, higher wages.
Hard coal was used a lot and in high demand, workers felt that eventually the public would support the cause.
Bear, president of company, refused to negotiate these terms- strike went on and seeped into the fall, leading to concerns of heating the country.
Roosevelt decides that he must step in and mediate the settlement between these parties- threatens to cease the mines if owners refuse to compromise.
This is unprecedented in US history: before, government has always stepped in on the side of management. Miners received a 10% pay increase and work day reduction, managers got assurance that the union would not be officially recognized.
Most important thing: Roosevelt ended the strike, miners went back to work, promotes the idea of square deal- he will protect the people.
Another thing to come out of this: creation of a new cabinet position with the dep. of commerce and labor, created in 1903 to investigate trade, break up monopolies, protect workers.
Dealing with the Northern Securities Rail Road company- he attacks them due to their monopoly in 1902, monopoly dissolved.
First time gov used Sherman Anti-Trust Act to effectively break up monopoly. Earned reputation of "trust buster".
Elkins Act, 1903: response to ineffectiveness of interstate commerce; aims at reducing the abuse of rebates by the railroads. Heavy fines can be imposed on both railroads and shippers for abusing the rates.
Hepburn Act, 1906: restriction of free passes handed out from railroad companies used to bribe agencies or shippers.
Didn't consider trust busting economically sound- wanted to regulate, not break up, most of the trust. By the end of the term in 1908, trusts are healthier than ever before.
Consumer protection
natural impulse in gov to have some meat protection
EU markers threatened to ban american meat due to small amounts of tainted meat found
Upton Sinclair wrote the jungle- 1906- bring attention to the plight of the meat processing worker and gross out the american public to initiate political action in order to fix meat industry
results:meat inspection act: introduced by roosevelt, meat shipped over state line would be subjected to government inspection at every step of the process
pure food and drug act: prevented mislabeling of food and drugs- patented medicine was laced with alcohol.
Conservation
Americans had long considered their resources to be inexhaustible, especially with timber and resources
By 1900, americans realized this was not true.
Desert Land Act, 1877: sold desert land on promise of irrigation
Forest Reserve Act ,1891, gave president power to set aside land for reserves
Carry Act, 1894: gives federal land to states on promise of irrigation
Started a new age in conservation with roosevelt- his most tangible enduring achievement
Newlands Act 1902: allowed government to collect money from the sell of public lands in the west to Develop Irrigation Projects. money put into a revolving account to fund more projects. focused on dams
By 1900, only 25% of nations forests still stood- set aside 125 mil acres of forest, earmarked millions of acres of coal and water deposits
Leads to debate over using land for conservation or preservation- see Roosevelt and John Muir valley dam
Hetchy Hetch Valley: John wanted to preserve it- set aside and not touch it
San Fran: wanted to dam it and use for a water supply
Even though John Meir and Roosevelt were good friends, Roosevelt uses the pragmatic approach of damming.
Panic of 1907
907- wall street suffers short but brutal panic due to mismanagement, overextension of credit, overspecutaltion
No federal deposit insurance corp, so when people panic they take out all their money which prompts closing on banks
Roosevelt cooperates with large banks to prevent banking to collapse by transferring millions from one account to the other
some blamed these on his anti trust actions, Roosevelt accusing wall street of engineering this panic- wants to reduce power of banks even more
leads to reform becoming more acceptable with second wave of trust busting
effects:
insurgent republicans and democrats take on the republican old guard of the late 19th century panic of going to show the need for an elastic money supply- banks were unable to increase volume of currency in circulation, so wealthy were reluctant to loan money leads way to fed reserve act in 1913
labor and local reformers gain important mid class allies, roosevelt starts incorporating William Bryan's ideas, progressives embrace reforms put forth by socialists, populists, knights of labor, farmers alliance, greenbacks, etc.
bull moose party = progressive party: have platforms that champion the ideas of populists parties and early reformers of the 19th century.
Taft-Republican Split
William Taft- ran as Republican nominee against William Jennings Bryan: easy win for Taft
after Roosevelt's term, he goes on a Safari to Africa- heavily followed by American public and people
the Roosevelt legacy:
Wanted to tame unbridled capitalism, but not an enemy of business: seek a middle ground
Increased power of the presidency by initialing reforms, proposing legislation, proved America is a world power to be reckoned with
Taft and the Election of 1908
Taft was well liked, but lacked Teddy's fire- wanted to keep status quo instead of rocking the vote
congress started to oppose him so taft, by default, becomes likened to the old guard republicans
dollar diplomacy: sneakier- sub dollars for bullets, want american businesses and america to gain money by investing in Latin America and Caribbean
As a trust buster, he brought 90 suits against trusts in his 4 years as president
Overstepped his bounds in 1911 when he pressed anti trust against US Steel Corporation- one of the good trusts. this angered JP Morgan and Roosevelt.
Dedicated conservationist: equal to or better then Teddy, protected water development
Postal savings bank system 1910: authorized post to receive saving deposits and pay interest per year on said deposits
Split of rep party
Tariff of 1909- reducing the tariff was a major issue for reformers
House of reps passed moderate bill that would reduce rates a little, but the senate tacked on so many additions on increasing the tariff that the tariff ended up increasing taxes
Signed by Taft: further alienates progressive wing, last nail in the casket for his non reelection
Ballinger Pinchett, 1910: Ballinger opened up public lands for corp development, criticized by Pinchett in the forestry division
Taft takes Ballinger's side, dismisses Pinchett, angers conservationists.
Progressives are attacking the leading old republican, Joe Cannon, speaker of the house
This completes the split of the republican party- seen more in 1910 when roosevelt comes back into play with speech at Osawatomie, Kansas
Galvanized to become active w tariff and conservation issues, speech inspires progressives, he outlines new doctrine "new nationalism"
Marks new era in politics where old guard republicans are now on the defensive
1910 midterm elections- republicans lose badly, a few socialists are elected
1911- National Progressive Republican League with Robert Lafayette- leading candidate for Republican presidential nominee, but overshadowed by taft
Progressives left party to form the third party- Bull Moose Party- rather than have progressive republicans run with taft
Woodrow Wilson runs with idea of New Freedom, Social Party runs with Eugene Debs, Roosevelt runs with the Bull Moose Party, and Taft with the Republican Party
Election of 1912 and Wilsonian Progressivism
Democrats thought they could take the White House because of the republican split
wilson was chosen as candidate- former gov. of new jersey and president of Princeton university
New freedom platform: liberal and progressive ideas
Progressive party: bull moose party
Taft and Roosevelt laid into each other during the campaign
Wilson's New Freedom and Roosevelt's New Nationalism plants
Promise of American Life inspired new nationalism, book said to regulate, not crush, trust; pushed for female suffrage, minimal wage, social insurance programs, etc.; however, these would be hard for businessmen and conservatives
New Freedom: small business support, wanted to bust up all trusts, didn't include any social programs
Roosevelt was shot, delivered a speech, then went to the hospital, recovered in two weeks
Results:
Democrats won with Woodrow Wilson with a large electoral vote, but only 44% of the popular vote- most people didn't want him as president, but it happened
Socialist party was on the rise with Eugene Debs- about one million votes
Taft later becomes Chief Justice of Supreme Court
Wilson in Politics
born and raised in South
Sympathized with the Civil War, influenced self determination policy
During his time, DC became most segregated it had ever been
Great orator, very religious, well educated intellectual
His personality was opposite of Roosevelt- he was stubborn, an idealist, won't budge on his ideas or beliefs; he lacked the people's touch, seen as arrogant
Entered the white house saying he wants to attack the triple wall of privilege- tariff, trust, banks
underwood tariff: reduced tariff rates on imports, started graduated income tax legalized with 16th amendment
Banks: panic of 1907 showed faults in banking system- currency wasn't elastic enough
set up committee headed by Senator Aldridge, recommend a third bank of the united states
June, 1913: federal reserve act creates federal reserve board that oversaw 12 regional banks, gives power to issue paper money (federal reserve notes), could regulate the amount of money in regulation by issuing or holding back paper money
Trusts
congress passing federal trade commission act, stops mislabeling, unlawful competition, bribery
passed the clayton anti trust act (1914) finally puts teeth in anti trust act- added list of objectionable trust practices and exempted labor unions from being considered trusts, legalized strikes as forms as peaceful protest
Other reforms:
federal farm loan act, warehouse act, worker's rights, sailors guaranteed fair treatment, worker's compensation act, admission act set up 8 hour workday, put first jew on supreme court, but did not reach out towards african americans
treatment of blacks was a limit of progressivism- wilson's policies moved towards greater segregation
business community: wilson made conservative appointments to federal reserve board, moved many bull moose factors into his platform to make sure he didn't alienate any votes
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