NOTES

Chapter twenty two: The Battle for National Reform

 Roosevelt = 42 yrs = youngest to be pres.

 Believed in Moderate Change
 Wanted to gain pwr of investigating activities of corps. And publicize results. B/c
pressure of educated public opinion would elim. Corp abuses.
 Tried to break up combinations
 Roosevelt was willing to listen to striking workers sides of issues = helped them with
gov’t arbitration.
 Completed square deal that he promised to striking workers by passing the interstate
commerce act of 1887 and establishing the Interstate Commerce Comission = effort to
regulate the railroad industry.
 Hepburn Railroad Regulation Act of 1906 sought to restore some regulatory authority to
the government by giving the ICC the authority to inspect the books of railroad
companies.
 Pressured congress to pass pure food and drug act + meat inspection act,
 1907 proposed: 8 hr. wrkday, broader comp for injured industrial laborers, inheritance
and income taxes, regulation of the stock market, + more. Conservatives blocked most.
 Tried to restrict private development on undeveloped gov’t land by adding it to the nat’l
forest system. (most are in west) Seizes forests / water pwr sites before congress took
away authority over pub. Lands.
 Supported Nat’l reclamation act in 1902 which provided fed. Funds for the construction
of dams, reservoirs, and canals in the west which provided cheap electric pwr later.
 “Furious w/ Taft, he began to believe that he alone was capable of reuniting the
Republican Party.”
 “New Nationalism” showed Roosevelt moved away from cautious reform conservatism
 -Supported graduated income/inheritance taxes, reg. of women/ child labor, tariff
revision, and firmer reg. of corps.
 Roosevelt tried to run for republican candidacy but b/c he was progressive taft won the
conservatives. Roosevelt tried to create the Progressive / Bull Moose party but failed b/c
followers refused to follow out of repub. Party.