Roosevelts Square Deal The Three Cs of Roosevelts

Roosevelt’s Square Deal

The Three C’s of Roosevelt’s Square Deal �Control of the Corporations � Trust-busting �Consumer Protection � Safer products �Conservationism � Protect it… � …and use it

Control Corporations �Defended laborers in the face of Big Biz � Threatens to nationalize coal mines during strike �Regulates Railroads � Elkins Act & Hepburn Act � Improves ICC �Breaks up several trusts �But bigness isn’t badness � Just needed to prove who was boss

Caring for the Consumer �Europe threatened a ban on ALL US meat �The Jungle sickens everyone…including TR �Legislation: � Meat Inspection Act (1906) � Pure Food & Drug Act (1906)

Conservationism �Newlands Act � Sell land Build Dams �Protected 125 million acres of forests �Debate: � Preservationists vs. Multiple Uses �Big Biz works to use US Natural resources in a sustainable way

Roosevelt Legacies �Leaves office in 1908 � Hand selects Howard Taft to succeed him �NOT Anti-business; just wanted to regulate �Work in conservation significant � Balanced preservation w/ using natural resources �Expanded the power of the presidency �Use the views of public support to strengthen position �Made American’s aware of “World Power Status”

Troubles with Taft �Taft becomes bigger Trustbuster than TR �Sues US Steel � Roosevelt had permitted merger that prompted lawsuit � Roosevelt is pissed �Fires Roosevelt supporter Gifford Pinchot � Roosevelt is pissed �Taft favored “Old Guard” too much �Roosevelt urges “New Nationalism” � Bigger government to solve economic and social problems �Roosevelt convinced that Taft was discarding his progressive policies � Gets into election of 1912 as Progressive Republican