WARM UP

①  Complete the Progressive Presidential comparison activity

②  Match the presidential event with the president or presidents that it belongs with

③  Research the event if it was not discussed in the notes

Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft

Woodrow Wilson

William Howard Taft

Taft Becomes President I.  After winning reelection in 1904 T.R. did not seek a third

term in 1908 (followed Washington precedent)

II.  In the 1908 election T.R. supported his Sec. of War William Howard Taft to become the next POTUS

III.  Taft won the election of 1908 by a wide margin over William Jennings Bryan and became our 27th President.

IV.  Taft was a Progressive like T.R. but made it clear he would be a very different president.

Election of 1908

Progressivism Under Taft I.  Similar to T.R. William Howard Taft attacked big businesses and

trusts A.  Taft administration filed 90 lawsuits breaking up monopolies using the

Sherman Anti-Trust Act B.  Actually broke up more trusts than TR

II.  Taft also added vast areas to the nation’s forest reserves & created national parks

III.  Taft also continued to fight for the rights of industrial workers A.  Created the Department of Labor to enforce labor safety laws B.  Worked to limit the working day for working citizens C.  Taft worked to protect the American people.

Progressivism Under Taft I.  The Taft administration also worked to pass the 16th

Amendment A.  16th Amendment stated that national taxes would be based on a

person’s income. (graduated income tax)

B.  Rich pay more than the poor in taxes

C.  Governments would now how more money to provide services in cities

II.  The 16th Amendment ensured the everyone paid their fair share of taxes (similar to square deal)

Taft Upsets the Progressives I.  Progressives supported low tariffs to keep costs low for

consumers A.  Low prices are better for the people

II.  Taft approved and supported the Payne-Aldrich Tariff in 1909

A.  High tariff to protect American manufacturing B.  Tariffs are good for business owners (rich) = bad for people (poor)

C.  Opposite of Progressive ideology

III.  Taft administration also sold public lands in Alaska which angered Progressive reformers

A.  Taft’s decisions upset one very powerful man: Theodore Roosevelt

T.R. Runs For Reelection I.  T.R. believed that Taft was not carrying out a progressive

agenda and protecting the people like he should

II.  In 1912 T.R. decided to run for president a third time and sought to steal the Republican nomination from Taft

III.  Leaders of the Republican Party chose Taft as their candidate

A.  He was already the president and had a very good chance of winning

IV.  T.R. was angry with this decision and his progressive followers created a new third party in protest à the Progressive Party

A.  Also known as the BULL MOOSE PARTY

The Republican Party Divides Progressive (Bull

Moose)

I.  Supported T.R. and progressive reforms

II.  Protect working class, public health & safety, protect consumer, conservation

III.  Give more political power to the people

Conservative (Republican)

I.  Supported Taft and conservative decisions

II.  Encouraged tariffs to protect manufacturing, hands-off in business, no trust busting, little government intervention

III.  Not supporting public programs.

The Election of 1912 I.  Republican voters split between the T.R.

and Taft

II.  Neither candidate won a majority of the votes

III.  The split in the Republican party led Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson to be elected POTUS in 1912

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

I.  Even though Woodrow Wilson was from a different political party than T.R. and Taft he still desired progressive reforms

II.  Wilson worked to protect the rights of working class Americans

III.  Wilson created the New Freedom Plan to ensure that the problems of the Gilded Age were solved

Wilson’s New Freedom Plan

2. Create stronger Anti-Trust laws

1.  Lower tariffs to create more competition for big businesses

4. Signed labor laws protecting industrial workers

3. Passed Federal Reserve Act

Wilson Attacks Trusts I.  Wilson will attack trusts & unfair business practices like Taft

& T.R.

II.  Wilson’s government passed the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914

A.  Declared certain business practices illegal i.  Strengthened the Sherman Anti-Trust Act ii.  Allowed the U.S. government to attack monopolies

III.  Wilson also assisted in the passing of Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914

A.  Created the Federal Trade Commission B.  FTC hunts down and attacks monopolies in the U.S.A. C.  The FTC watches out for the American people and protects us from

monopolies

Wilson Economic Policies I.  Wilson will attempt to take power away from big

businesses by lowering tariffs

II.  Wilson will also pass the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 creating the Federal Reserve System

A.  The Federal Reserve System i.  New money could be issued without the gold backing

ii.  Saved banks from closing and protected people’s money

iii.  Created 12 regions all with federal reserve banks

iv.  The Federal Reserve System is the modern banking system used in the U.S.A.

Wilson Falls Short of Progressive

I.  Though Wilson is considered a Progressive President many of his were not progressive A.  Wilson was opposed to federal anti-lynching legislation

(blacks were hung by racist lynch mobs) B.  Continued segregation in the White House C.  Appointed an all white cabinet that enforced segregation

and discrimination policies D.  Fought against child labor laws E.  Did very little to advance civil rights or protest social

injustices.

The End of Progressivism I.  The Progressive Era led to many positives changes in

American society:

A.  Workplace reforms, economic reforms, trust busting, political reforms, more democracy, women’s suffrage, rights for African-Americans, direct elections of Senators, end of political corruption, conservationism

II.  The outbreak of World War I in 1914 led to an end of the Progressive Era

A.  The nation focused on World War I instead of the problems in our own nation

III.  The Progressive era remains one of the most important reform movements ever in American society.