Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt, 1901-1912

The Progressive Era 1901-1918

Origins of Progressivism

A. Lasts through presidencies of Roosevelt (1901-1909) and William Howard Taft (1909-1913) and first term of Democrat Woodrow Wilson (1913-1917) B. Attitudes and Motives 1. Relatively homogenous, rural society turns into industrialized nation of mixed ethnicity and growing cities 2. Rising of big business, increasing gap between rich and poor, dominance of corrupt political machines 3. Jim Crow Laws 4. Groups participating: Protestant church leaders, African Americans, Union leaders, feminists 5. Progressive: belief that changes in society were badly needed and that government was the proper agency for correcting social and economic ills

C. Who were the Progressives?

1. Middle class residents of U.S. cities 2. Missionary spirit a. Code of social responsibility: caring for poor, honesty in public life b. Social Gospel – important element in response to problem of urban poverty 3. Theodore Roosevelt and Robert La Follete (Republican party) and William Bryan and Woodrow Wilson (Democratic party)

D. What was the Progressive’s philosophy? 1. Committed to democratic values and shared belief in honest government and laws to improve human condition 2. Charles Darwin – Origin of Species – evolution a. Thought and reason challenged; pragmatism 3. William James and John Dewey define “truth”: people should take a practical approach to morals; experiment with ideas and laws to test them in action to see if it benefits society 4. Pragmatism: challenge fixed notions that stood in the way of reform a. Rejected laissez fair E. Scientific Management 1. Frederick W. Taylor – scientific management system: way of organizing people a. Government should be placed in the hands of experts and scientific managers

The Muckrakers

A. “Dirty realities” of party politics and scandalous conditions of factories and slums written in magazines and journal reports B. Origins 1. Henry Lloyd – wrote Wealth Against Commonwealth and exposed corruption and greed of oil monopoly but failed to suggest how to control it C. Magazines 1. Samuel Sidney McClure – founded McClure’s Magazines – shocking exposes of political and economical corruption D. Books 1. Jacob Riis – How the Other Half Lives 2. Lincoln Steffens – The Shame of the Cities 3. Theodore Dreisers – The Financier and the Titan 4. Frank Norris – The Octopus and the Pitt E. Decline of Muckraking: exposed inequities, educated public about corruption in high places and prepared way for corrective action

Political Reforms in Cities and States A.

Voter Participation: Honest officials 1. Secret ballot – voters drop tickets into ballot box a. 1888- Massachusetts first state to adopt system 2. Direct primaries – nominating party candidates by majority vote a. Some southern states used this to exclude African Americans from voting 3. Direct election of U.S. senators a. Nevada first state to give voters opportunity to elect U.S. senators directly 4. Initiative, referendum, and recall a. Initiative – voters could compel the legislature no consider a bill b. Referendum – allowed citizens to vote on proposed c. Recall – enabled voters to remove corrupt politician from office bu major vote before that official’s term has expired

B. Social Welfare 1. Jane Addams and Frances Kelly need political support in state legislatures for meeting needs of immigrants and working class 2. Worked for better schools, juvenile courts, liberalized divorce laws, and safety regulations for tenements and factories 3. Fought for system of parole, separate reformatories for juveniles and limits on death penalty

Municipal Reform

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Mayor Samuel M. “Golden Rule” – introduces program including free kindergartens, night schools, public playgrounds 2.

Tom L. Johnson – cause of tax reform and three cent trolley fares for people; fought for ownership and operation of city public utilities and services a. 1915 – two thirds of nation’s cities own water systems b. Also operated gas lines, electric power plants and urban transportation systems 3.

Municipal government a. Texas first to adopt commission plan for government

State Reform

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B.

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Whether or not to shut down saloons and prohibit the drinking of alcohol Wanted to abolish liquor 1915 – two thirds of legislature want to prohibit alcoholic beverages

Political Reform in the Nation

A. Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal 1. Strike of anthracite coal miners - called union leader and coal mine owners - granted 10 percent wage increase and a nine hour day to miners B. Trust- busting 1. Broke up “bad trusts” from “good trusts” C. Railroad regulation 1. Elkins Act - ICC had greater authority to stop railroads from granting rebates to favored customers 2. Hepburn Act - commission could fix “just and reasonable” rates for railroads D. Consumer protection 1. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair causes Congress to enact a. Pure Food and Drug Act - forbade manufacture, sale, transportation of adulterated or mislabeled foods or drugs b. Meal Inspection Act - federal inspectors visit meatpacking plants to ensure that they met minimum standards of sanitation

Earth Control

A. Acts for saving land 1. Desert Land Act of 1877 - federal gov. sold dry land for cheap under the circumstance that the buyer irrigate the soil within three years 2. Forest Reserve Act of 1891 - the president could set aside public forests and make them into national parks and other reserves 3. Carey Act of 1894 - federal was given out to states under the circumstance that they irrigate the soil and settle it 4. Newlands Act of 1902 - Congress sold dry lands in western states and used the money to develop irrigation projects a. Settlers would then buy the newly irrigated lands and this money was used to develop more irrigations projects B. Roosevelt believed in saving the American “frontier” 1. He preserved the nation’s forests, coal deposits, and water resources 2. New nationalistic views started to form about the wilderness a. Call of the Wind by Jack London and nature books caught city people’s attention b. Boy Scouts of America was made for city children c. Sierra Club (1892) wanted to preserve the wilderness

C. In 1913, the Hetch Hetchy Valley controversy in San Francisco to build a dam brought Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot to conflict. Preservation vs. Commercial interest D. Roosevelt’s policy: professional foresters and engineers developed “mulitple-use resource-management” land 1. Combined recreation, sustained yield logging, watershed protection, and summer stock grazing on the same expanse of the federal 2. The use of resources meant large scale and long term planning which involved strength of big biz and gov.

“Roosevelt Panic” of 1807

A. In his new term, he called for more regulations for corp., taxed incomes, and protected workers B. 1907 financial setback on Wall St. involved “runs” on the banks, suicides, and criminal cases against speculators 1. Blame was put on Roosevelt - “Roosevelt Crisis” C. Fiscal reforms were put in place: elastic medium of exchange D. Banks were unable to increase volume of money circulation and reserves were reluctant to lend to less fortunate competitors 1.Aldrich-Vreeland Act of 1908 - congress authorized national banks to use emergency money from collateral

The Rough Rider Thunder Out

A. Roosevelt campaigned for William Howard Taft because Roosevelt saw him as a man who would carry out his policies and he won election B. Roosevelt was seen as a radical causing more trouble than laws but was well-liked by the youth C. Contributions: enlarged power and prestige of presidential office, progressive reform, liberal reform, (Square Deal) and opened nation to other world countries

Taft: A Rough Peg in a Square Hole

A. Had to deal with political handicaps; did not have Roosevelt’s personality to deal with political problems B. Nicknamed “Peaceful Bill” he was mild progressive

The Dollar Goes Abroad as a Diplomat

A. “Dollar Diplomacy” (1) used foreign policy to protect Wall St. money invested abroad (2) used Wall St. money to uphold foreign policy 1. Wall St. bankers invested surplus money in foreign places, like Far East and Panama Canal 2. Though to avoid being taken advantage of (Ger), America built up its defenses and foreign policies B. 1909-Secreatry of state Know proposed a group of Americans and foreign bankers buy Manchurian railroads to have control of monopoly over Russia and Japan 1. Taft was just seen as a joke with this plan as Japan and Russia rejected it C. In Caribbean, Wall St. bankers had to give money to avoid other foreign help being supplied and because it was their duty due to the Monroe Doctrine

Taft the Trustbuster

A. Gained fame as smasher of monopolies, bringing 90 suits against trusts B. 1911-Supreme court ordered break up of Standard Oil Co.; it was in violation of Sherman Anti-Trust Act 1. “Rule of Reason” : “unreasonably” restrained trade was illegal C. 1911- Taft pressed antitrust suit against U.S. Steel Corp. 1. Upset Roosevelt; Taft = antagonist

Taft Split’s the Republican Party

A. Payne-Aldrich Bill was signed by Taft that lowered protective tariffs and outraged progressive wing of Republican party B. Bureau of Mines controlled mineral resources, reduced acres of W. coal lands from exploitation, and protected water sites from private development C. Ballinger-Pinchot quarrel of 1910: Ballinger opened some W public lands for corporate development and Pinchot criticized him because he supported the Roosevelt policy of conservation 1. Taft dismissed Pinchot and protest from Conservationists and Roosevelt’s friends developed D. By 1910 Republican party was split and Roosevelt proclaimed “New Nationalism” doctrine urging national gov. to increase power to help economic and social abuses E. In 1910, democrats were dominant in congress

The Taft Roosevelt Rupture

A.1911- National Progressive Republican Party was formed B. Roosevelt changed views about Taft and protested against him; Roosevelt wanted to go for a 3rd term joining the National Progressive C. At the Republican Convention in Chicago 1912, Taft was in favor and the Rooseveltites refused to vote and Taft won and Roosevelt failed his attempt at a third term