Roosevelt Revives the Presidency

Chapter 15

Roosevelt

 Square Deal—Roosevelt: “every man has a square deal, no less and no more”  Roosevelt reform programs called this 

Social Darwinism

 Only the fittest survive  Roosevelt believed in both progressivism and Social Darwinism

Roosevelt takes on trusts

 Believed trusts and other large business organizations were very efficient and essential to Am. prosperity BUT  Concerned monopolies hurt pub. interest  NY Sun: Roosevelt “bring wealth to its knees”  Roosevelt: “we draw the line against misconduct, not against wealth”  Called “trustbuster”

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target: Northern Securities

 J.P. Morgan’s railroad holding company  Merged existing railroad systems  No northwest competition  Farmers feared it would raise rates and hurt their profits  Sued under Sherman Anti Trust Act  (1904) Northern Securities v. United States = Did violate Anti Trust Act

The Coal Strike of 1902

 United Mine Workers  STRIKE (want increased pay, reduced hrs, union recognition)  15,000 anthracite miners in east Pen  Coal prices UP  Roosevelt: private interests at nation’s expense  Possible coal shortages   Shut down factories Homes unheated

The Coal Strike of 1902

 Roosevelt urged arbitration  Union owners agreed, mine owners did not  Roosevelt threatened to have the army run the mines, THEN the mine owners accepted the deal

Regulating Big Business

 Believed most trusts were good for the economy  Wanted to regulated w/out breaking up trusts  Fed agency to investigate corps and publicize results 

Department of Commerce and Labor

 Investigates: U.S. Steel

U.S. Steel

 “Gentlemen’s agreement”   Company would open record books for investigation and if there’s a problem comp would be told privately and fix w/out legal action Also made with other companies  Hepburn Act (1906)  Strengthen Interstate Commerce Commission  Set railroad rates  Eventually became supporter of railraods  By 1920s: set rates to ensure profits

Consumer Protection

 Samuel Hopkins Adams  Patent medicine business  Claim to cure, but really just alcohol, colored water, sugar OR  Caffeine, opium, cocaine, and other dangerous compounds  Food  Dangerous preservatives  “Embalmed meat”

Food

 1906—Upton Sinclair “The Jungle  Slaughterhouses of Chicago; appalling conditions of meat packing  Many people become vegetarians  Meat Inspection Act (1906)   Fed. inspection of meat (under interstate commerce) Agriculture Dept set standards 

Pure Food and Drug Act

 Prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure of falsely labeled food and drugs