MAJOR POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 1900-1920

As we have learned, progressives promoted the belief that the government has the responsibility to act for the people’s welfare. Theyu also believe that a President should provide strong and effective national leadership.

Two presidents of that era, Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) and Woodrow Wilson (1913-21), particularly demonstrated this ideal. William Howard Taft (1909-1913) was more of a reluctant progressive.

I)Roosevelt and the “Square Deal” (1901-09)

Biographical details – TR became president when William McKinley was assassinated six months after his second inauguration. As vice-president, TR succeeded. Him. TR believed in using the power of the presidency to effect change – often referring to the White House as his “bully pulpit.”

A)T.R.’s Political Philosophy

  1. Roosevelt supported many progressive reforms as essential to save our democratic, capitalist system from both the extreme left and the extreme right.
  1. He opposed Socialists and other radicals who urged an end to private enterprise
  1. At the same time, he condemned those persons of wealth who resisted change and who abo=used their power – accusing them of “arrogant stupidity” and calling them “malefactors of great wealth.”
  1. Roosevelt represented middle-class progressives, whose method was moderate reform.

B)TR Promotes a Vigorous Government

  1. TR the “Trust Buster” – he broke up a handful of trusts (business monopolies, arguing that they hurt the average American consumer.
  1. He was responsible for important domestic legislation

a.The Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) –

ThePure Food and Drug Act of 1906was the first of a series of significantconsumer protection lawsenacted by the Federal Government in the 20th century and led to the creation of theFood and Drug Administration. Its main purpose was to ban foreign and interstate traffic in adulterated or mislabeled food and drug products, and it directed the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry to inspect products and refer offenders to prosecutors. It required that active ingredients be placed on the label of a drug’s packaging and that drugs could not fall below purity levels established by the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Formulary.The JunglebyUpton Sinclairwas an inspirational piece that kept the public's attention on the important issue of unsanitary meat processing plants that later led to food inspection legislation.

b. Meat Inspection Act of 1906

TheFederal Meat Inspection Actof 1906 (FMIA) is aUnited States Congress Actthat works to prevent adulterated or misbranded meat and meat products from being sold as food and to ensure that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions. These requirements also apply to imported meat products, which must be inspected under equivalent foreign standards.USDAinspection of poultry was added by thePoultry Products Inspection Act of 1957. TheFood, Drug, and Cosmetic Actauthorizes theFood and Drug Administration(FDA) to provide inspection services for all livestock and poultry species not listed in the FMIA or PPIA, including venison and buffalo. TheAgricultural Marketing Atuthorizes the USDA to offer voluntary, fee-for-service inspection services for these same species.

  1. The Conservation of Natural Resources

Roosevelt had lived in the West and had personally witnessed the depletion of natural resources.

He substantially increased the national reserves of forests, coal lands and waterpower sites.

  1. After he became President in 1901, Roosevelt used his authority to protect wildlife and public lands by creating the U.S. Forest Service and establishing 51 Federal Bird Reservations, 4 National Game Preserves, 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks, and enabling the1906 American Antiquities Actwhich he used to proclaim 18 National Monuments. During his presidency,Theodore Roosevelt protected approximately 230,000,000 acres of public land.

II)William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

Background – Taft served as Secretary of War for TR and with his backing won the Republican nomination for {resident. He defeated William Jennings Bryan and promised to maintain TR’s progressive policies – which he did to a large extent. He ended up angering progressives for not being aggressive enough and for cozying up to establishment Republicans who were opposed to reform.

A)Progressive Accomplishments of Taft

  1. He broke up twice the number of trusts that Roosevelt did in half the time. – four years
  2. He increased the number of federal employees under civilservice.
  3. Congress proposed the Sixteenth Amendment for a national income tax and h Seventeenth Amendment for the direct election of Senators ( both measures became part of the Constitution in 1913)
  4. Supported the Mann-Elkins Act (1910) which authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate telephone and telegraph companies.

**The Election of 1912

President Taft dominated the Republican convention and won reomination on the first ballot. Roosevelt’s supporters claimed fraud, hastily created the Progressive part, and with great fervor nominated Theodore Roosevelt. Because Roosevelt often said that he was a s”strong as a bull moose”, the new party became known as the Bul Moose party After a bitter struggle betewwn consercatives an progressives, the Deomicratic vinvetion bominated the choice of the progressives, Woodrow Wilson.

In many ways, the programs of Wilson andRoosevelt were similar: greater plotical democracy and more social and ecomic refors. Roosevelt and Wilson diffed, however, in that Roosevelt supported high trariffs, considered business consolidation inevitable and urged that giant coporations be permittd to exist, but undr

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