Transcript Affirmative Action - University of Nebraska Omaha

Origins of Progressive Reform:
Municipal, State, and National and
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson as
Progressive Presidents
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The Bull Moose Party
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In the election of 1912, former
president Theodore Roosevelt split the
Republican Party when he lost the
nomination to William Howard Taft.
In response to the claim that Roosevelt
was no longer fit for the office, he
responded that he was "fit as a bull
moose;" it was from this comment that
the Progressive Party received its
nickname.
The Progressives substantially
overshadowed the Republicans in the
election, but never again regained the
amount of support garnered in the
1912 election, primarily due to
adjustments on behalf of both of the
mainstream parties.
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Socialism
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The Progressive movement
was not the only reform
movement in play at the turn of
the century; the Socialists were
also growing in prominence.
Often at odds with
Progressives, the Socialists
followed a different ideology,
ranging from radicalism to
social democracy.
Eugene V. Debs was the most
prominent Socialist of his time;
he was promoted as the
Socialist candidate for the
presidency 5 times.
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Tariffs
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Tariffs were one of the
most salient and
contentious issues in
Progressive era politics;
they were the largest
source of income for the
United States government
through the end of World
War I.
For this reason, the rate of
tariffs varied dramatically
over the turn of the
century and throughout
the course of Progressive
presidencies, each man
tailoring the tariff rates to
his specific ideology.
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Trade Regulation
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The first time government regulated business was in 1887 when the
Interstate Commerce Act was passed.
Many farmers in the Western half of the country resented the control that
the railroads exerted over them, they set the prices for shipping at will and
often much higher than market value.
Regulation was first attempted at the state level, but the laws were
deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The Interstate Commerce Act effectively created the Interstate Commerce
Commission (ICC), the first federal regulatory commission.
Designed to keep the railroads from forming monopolies and employing
unfair business practices, the Act mandated reasonable, published
shipping rates and outlawed price discrimination and secret rebates to
preferred customers.
The responsibilities of the ICC expanded to include worker safety and anti
discrimination through two subsequent acts, Elkins Act of 1903 and the
Mann-Elkins Act of 1920.
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Trust Busting
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Along with the rise of industry and corporations in America,
was the emergence of trusts and monopolies, business
entities that aimed to control an entire market in order to
manipulate prices and garner profits significantly higher
than the market would allow.
Senator John Sherman initially introduced the legislation to
prevent trusts from forming to protect the American
Consumer.
Although Theodore Roosevelt is most closely associated
with trust busting, William Howard Taft and William
McKinley both played major roles in the era, by beginning
anti-trust proceedings and initiating the Industrial
Commission on Trusts.
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The first, United States v E. C. Knight Co., decided in 1895, was the
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first case heard by the Supreme Court concerning the Sherman AntiTrust Act.
The Court decided that the Legislature did not have the authority to
regulate the monopoly in question and it effectively limited the
government’s power over them.
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The second, Northern Securities v United States, decided in 1904,
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determined that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was sufficient to regulate a
monopoly, overturning the earlier E.C. Knight Co. decision.
Northern Securities was a railroad conglomerate formed by the
financiers JP Morgan, James Hill, JD Rockefeller, and EH Harriman
and essentially controlled all rail lines in the northern portion of the
United States. The decision dissolved the trust.
The third decision listed is that of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v
United States from 1911.
The company was found guilty of intentionally monopolizing the
petroleum market and forced to split into multiple competing
organizations.
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Coal Strike 1902
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In 1902, the United Mine
Workers of America
launched a strike in the
Anthracite coalfields in
eastern Pennsylvania that
effectively changed the
government’s relationship
with labor and corporations.
Whereas no coal was being
mined and the nation used
coal to heat homes, and in
light of the coming winter,
the president was forced to
intervene to prevent a
national disaster.
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Conservation
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"Public opinion throughout the
United States has moved
steadily toward a just
appreciation of the value of
forests, whether planted or of
natural growth."
The Conservation Movement began in
the late 19th century, but enjoyed greater
support through legislation, such as the
Forest Reserve Act and the Newlands
Reclamation Act, during the early 20th
century.
The conservation movement was
supported by Theodore Roosevelt and
promoted the protection of forests “for
the greater good for the greatest length.”
Conservationists wanted to use lands for
public activities and commercial
endeavors, whereas an offshoot group,
the preservationists, wanted the lands to
be preserved for their natural beauty,
scientific study, and recreation.
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Muckrakers
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A muckraker, in the early 19th century,
was a journalist who investigated and
exposed societal issues, usually amid a
flurry of controversy and with the goal of
reform.
The term is credited to Theodore
Roosevelt who was in favor of the
muckraking journalists; he said of them in
a speech:
“There are, in the body politic, economic and social,
many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for
the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless
exposure of and attack upon every evil man whether
politician or business man, every evil practice, whether
in politics, in business, or in social life. I hail as a
benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on
the platform, or in book, magazine, or newspaper, with
merciless severity makes such attack, provided always
that he in his turn remembers that the attack is of use
only if it is absolutely truthful."
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The excerpts below are from two of the better known muckrakers.
The first is a selection from Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” which
describes the conditions of the meat packing industry and was directly
related to both the Meat Inspection and Pure Food and Drug Acts.
The second is a selection from Ida Tarbell’s “History of the Standard Oil
Company” that exposed the ways big business attempted to circumvent
anti-trust legislation an still maintain a monopoly.
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"the other men who worked in tank-rooms full of steam, and in some of which
there were open vats near the level of the floor, their peculiar trouble was that
they fell into the vats; and when they were fished out, there was never enough of
them left to be worth exhibiting,—sometimes they would be overlooked for days,
till all but the bones of them had gone out to the world as Durham’s Pure Leaf
Lard!"-The Jungle
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"As for independent pipelines, there were so many ways of "discouraging" their
building that it did not seem probable that any one would ever go far. It was only
a matter of time, then, when all remaining outside refiners must come into his
fold or die."-History of the Standard Oil Company
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Theodore Roosevelt
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Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. was the 26th
president of the United States of
America, rising to power following the
assassination of William McKinley.
The Republican Party bosses
attempted to marginalize his influence
by making him vice president, a
presumed dead-end position, but their
plan backfired with the death of his
predecessor.
Roosevelt was a Progressive reformer
who wanted to bring conservative
ideals into the 20th century.
In the 1912 election, he split from the
mainstream party and created the Bull
Moose platform, running for the
presidency on a third party ticket.
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William Howard Taft
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William Howard Taft became the 27th
President of the United States of
America after Theodore Roosevelt
refused the Republican nomination
for president in the 1908 election.
Taft was a Progressive, however, his
policies differed from mainstream
Progressive politics.
He was more focused on the legal
aspect of the ideology, rarely
confronting business practices in his
speeches, but initiating at least 90
anti-trust suits.
Taft is very closely associated with his
goals for tariff reform, of which he
spoke often, and his advancements in
foreign policy.
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Woodrow Wilson
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Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of
the United States of America, elected
during the highly contested election of
1912.
A Democrat, but a Progressive president
nonetheless, Wilson is most recognized
for his regulation of the monetary system
having pursued the Federal Reserve Act
of 1913.
Instead of pursuing multiple anti-trust
suits, as did his predecessors, Wilson
encouraged competition through monetary
policy and the Federal Trade Commission.
Whereas the legislation previously in place
had begun to set a legal precedent, that
which Wilson initiated created governing
bodies that could be held responsible for
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the rules set in place.
Election of 1912
The Presidential election of 1912 was greatly
affected by the introduction of the third party ticket,
with former president Theodore Roosevelt running
for the Progressive Party (Bull Moose), against the
Republican incumbent William Howard Taft, and
the Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson.
Many say that Roosevelt split the Republican vote
allowing Wilson to win the presidency, but his party
also appealed to many Democrats, from whom he
also received a number of votes.
 Roosevelt made a good showing, but fell in
second place, while Taft came in a distant third.
Wilson garnered the majority of both the popular
and electoral votes.
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