Progressive Presidents Theodore Roosevelt Born into a wealthy

Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt • • • Born into a wealthy New York family Harvard Educated Rough Riders/San Juan Hill 26 th President of the U. S. (1901 -1909) Took office after Mc. Kinley was assassinated Big Stick Diplomacy

Square Deal • domestic program formed upon three basic ideas: – conservation of natural resources – control of corporations – consumer protection • Aimed at helping middle class citizens

Trustbuster • Roosevelt ordered the attorney general under Sherman Antitrust Act to file suit against Northern Securities. • Supreme court ruled that Northern Securities did in fact violate the Sherman Trust Act. • “The most powerful men in the country were held to accountability before the law”

Trustbuster Cont. • Brought about over 40 antitrust lawsuits against some of the largest corporations in the country. • Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) • Regulation- Department of Labor would work with large trust to keep them under control. – Regulation without hurting the economy

Reform…. . • Meat Inspection Act (1906) • Required federal inspection of meat sold through interstate commerce. • Required the Agriculture Department to set standards of cleanliness in meat packing plants. • Direct result of The Jungle – Upton Sinclair

More Reform…. • Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) • Prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure or falsely labeled food and drugs. • Think labels on the back of the food you buy

Conservation • Newlands Reclamation Act (1902) • Used federal funds from public land sales to pay for irrigation and land development projects. • Created U. S. Forest Service • Manage the timber resources of the west – Gifford Pinchot

More Conservation • American Antiquities Act (1906) – Gave power to the president to restrict the use of pubic land owned by the Federal Government. • Used Presidential Power to create – 51 Federal Bird Reservations – 4 National Game Preserves – 150 National Forests – 5 National Parks

Recap on Teddy…… • Name two progressive acts he backed while in office. • Name two more. • What is the Sherman Antitrust Act? • Was Roosevelt a conservationist, and what evidence do you have to support that claim?

William Howard Taft • • • Born into the powerful Taft family of Ohio. Educated at Yale. Governor General of the Philippines Secretary of War 27 th President of U. S. (1909 -1913)

Payne-Aldrich Tariff • Called a special session of Congress to attempt to lower tariffs. – Progressives (Wanted Lower Tariffs) – Conservative Republicans (High Tariffs) • Essentially cut tariffs very little and actually raised them on some goods.

Another Trustbuster? • Taft brought in twice as many antitrust suits in four years as Roosevelt did in seven. • Standard Oil and the American Tobacco Company were two major victories for the Taft administration. • Taft also managed to break up the “sugar trust” of the American Sugar Refining Company

Reform… • Bureau of Mines (1910) – Monitor the activities of mining companies – Expand national forests – Protect water power sites from development • Children’s Bureau (1912) – This agency investigated and publicized the problems of child labor – Exists to this day, dealing with issues such as child abuse prevention, adoption, and foster care.

Recap on Taft…… • Name two progressive reforms he backed while in office. • Can you name two more? • Would you say Taft successfully lowered Tariffs? If yes explain. If no explain. • What is a Tariff?

Woodrow Wilson • • • Born into a slave holding family from Virginia Educated at Princeton and John Hopkins President of Princeton University Governor of New Jersey 28 th President of U. S. (1913 -1921)

Governor of New Jersey • Introduced the Direct Primary • Established utility regulatory boards • Allowed cities to set up commissioner form of government • Within 2 years New Jersey became a model of what a PROGRESSIVE state should be

Tariffs and Banks • Underwood Tariff (1913) – Reduced average tariff on imported goods to half the tariff rate of the 1890’s – Established the Graduated Income Tax • you make more $$$$ you pay the Government more in taxes.

Table 1. 2015 Taxable Income Brackets and Rates Rate Single Filers Married Joint Filers Head of Household Filers 10% $0 to $9, 225 $0 to $18, 450 $0 to $13, 150 15% $9, 225 to $37, 450 $18, 450 to $74, 900 $13, 150 to $50, 200 25% $37, 450 to $90, 750 $74, 900 to $151, 200 $50, 200 to $129, 600 28% $90, 750 to $189, 300 $151, 200 to $230, 450 $129, 600 to $209, 850 33% $189, 300 to $411, 500 $230, 450 to $411, 500 $209, 850 to $411, 500 35% $411, 500 to $413, 200 $411, 500 to $464, 850 $411, 500 to $439, 000 $464, 850+ $439, 000+ 39. 6% $413, 200+

Federal Reserve Act • Federal Reserve Act (1913) – Allowed national supervision of the banking system – Government could set the interest rates – Control amount of money in circulation

More Trust-busting… • Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) – Banned price discrimination, (could not charge different customers different prices) – Gave workers unions the right to exist – Corrected loopholes in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Busting more trusts…. • Federal Trade Commission (1914) – Monitor American business – Prevent unfair trade practices that hurt competition • Enforce the Clayton Anti-Trust Act

Reform… • Adamson Act (1916) – Established 8 hour work day for railroad workers • Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916) – Prohibited the employment of children under the age of 14

Other Reforms • 19 th Amendment (Women’s Suffrage) • 16 th Amendment(Federal Income Tax) • 17 th Amendment (Direct Election of Senators)

Recap on Wilson……. • What is a trust? • Name two progressive reforms Wilson passed. • What two significant reforms dealing specifically with labor were passed under Wilson?