Wilson’s New Freedom

  1. Roosevelt and Taft
  2. Introduced the country to forceful Progressive Presidents
  3. Wilson and the Democrats Prevail
  4. Woodrow Wilson
  5. Expanded the power of the presidency to promote a far-reaching reform agenda
  6. His economic and antitrust measures are still important in American life today
  7. 1912 - republican and progressive parties split
  8. Allowed Wilson and Democrats to win election
  9. New Freedom
  10. Similar to Roosevelt’s New Nationalism
  11. Place strict government controls on corporations
  12. Did not win popular vote
  13. But had 4 times the amount of electoral votes
  14. Wilson Regulates the Economy
  15. Attacked the“triple wall of privilege”
  16. Tariffs
  17. Banks
  18. Trusts
  19. These blocked businesses from being free
  20. Congress Lowers Tariffs and Raises Taxes
  21. Wilson
  22. Prevent big manufacturers from unfairly charging high prices on customers
  23. Lower tariffs on goods imported from other countries
  24. Underwood Tariff Act of 1913 - created a graduated income tax
  25. Wealthy people pay a higher percentage of their income than do poor people
  26. Money made from income tax made up for the money lost by lower tariffs on imports
  27. Federal Reserve Act
  28. Reform the banking system
  29. No central authority to supervise banks
  30. Interest rates could vary greatly
  31. Wealthy bankers had a great deal of control over the national, state, and local banks’ reserve funds
  32. Banks did not have access to all the money if people came to withdraw money
  33. Federal Reserve Act 1913 - national banks were placed under the control of a Federal Reserve Board
  34. Set up regional banks to hold the reserve funds from commercial banks
  35. Helps protect American economy from having too much money in the hands of one person, bank, or region
  36. Also set up interest rate than banks pay to borrow from other banks
  37. Make sure banks are well run
  38. Wilson Strengthens Antitrust Regulation
  39. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - members were nominated by the President to monitor business practices that might lead to monopoly
  40. Also in charge of watching out for false advertising or dishonest labeling
  41. Clayton Antitrust Act - strengthened actions in which activities businesses could not engage
  42. Both laws are still in effect today
  43. Protects businesses and consumers from abusive business activities
  44. Worker’s Rights Protected
  45. Result of Clayton Antitrust Act
  46. Workers could now organize (form unions) more freely
  47. Samuel Gompers
  48. Leader of American Federation of Labor (AFL)
  49. Workers Compensation Act - 1916
  50. Gave wages to temporarily disabled civil employees
  51. Adamson Act - limited railroad workers to working an 8 hour day
  52. Ludlow Massacre
  53. Wilson did not always support organized labor
  54. 1913 - coal miners in Ludlow, Colorado
  55. Demanded
  56. Safer conditions
  57. Higher pay
  58. Right to form union
  59. Coal company refused, workers walked away from work
  60. Workers and families formed small tent like community
  61. Strike continued into winter
  62. April 20, 1914 - National Guard ordered to city
  63. Opened fire on the tent city
  64. Burned tents
  65. 26 men, women, children killed

Progressivism Leaves a Lasting Legacy

  1. Political reforms of the Progressives had lasting effects on the American political system
  2. 19th amendment
  3. Federal government grew to offer more protection to Americans private lives
  4. Gained more control over people’s lives
  5. American economy
  6. Antitrust laws
  7. Federal Reserve Board
  8. Watched closely over the economy
  9. Wilson and Roosevelt
  10. Protected consumers
  11. Natural Resources
  12. Expanded government role
  13. West
  14. Federal action on dams, national parks, resource use