Cynthia Tchuisseu Shawn Gladden Hist 112 January 15, 2012 Compare the presidencies of Roosevelt, Taft and

Wilson. What made them Progressive presidents? Identify what you believe to be the most important pieces of legislation passed during each administration. Why are these so significant? Finally, be sure to indicate what each president did to expand the meaning of freedom for Americans.
At the beginning of the 20th century, America was in a critical era. Presented with so many opportunities and resources, but also affected by significant internal problems, the country was looking for some leaders able to lead them on the good path. The political mood had enough of reform, and the stage was set for the ear of progressive presidents, beginning with the Republican Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt was widely popular due to his status as hero of the Spanish - American War and his belief in speaking softly and carrying a big stick. He took the presidency in 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley; he started a hard work that had made America take a huge step in his evolution. He then demanded a squared Deal that encompassed his primary concerns of their era which was named the 3 Cs: the consumer protection, the control of corporations and conservation. The tenancy of corporations and the relationship between owners and laborers, as well as the role of the government in that relationship were the most controversial topics of their period. The workers were asking for full rights and protection while corporations were not willing to make any change about the workers conditions meaning they expected the labor to remain cheap and plentiful. Roosevelt, going against those established methods that industrialists have adopted, decided to step in that matter. He summoned mine owners and the union representatives to settle this matter and took the miners side. Still the mine owners were reluctant to negotiate until he threatened to use his big stick, declaring that he would size the mines and operate them with federal troops. Roosevelt began to attack large, monopolistic corporations; in 1902, the Northern Securities Company, owned by J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill, controlled most of the railroads in the North of the USA. Teddy Roosevelt initiated legal proceedings against Northern Securities and eventually Supreme Court ordered that the company should be dissolved. He also urged the Congress to create The Department of Commerce and Labor. This cabinet was meant for monitoring corporations and ensuring that they were engaged in fair business practices. The second element of Roosevelts square deal was consumer protection. In the early 1900s, there was little or no regulation of the food or drugs that were available to the population. Until in 1906 that Upton Sinclair published a book called the Jungle that described in full detail the Chicago Slaughterhouse industry. He exposed the condition of workers and the condition of the products made. Roosevelt pressured the Congress so that it agreed to pass the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906; it was an important step toward ensuring that Americans were buying safe and healthy products. Roosevelts final element of the

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square Deal was conservation. Known as outdoorsman and a hunter, he had a genuine love and respect for nature. He urged the congress to pass the Newlands Act of 1902. In 1908, President Roosevelt could have easily carried his popularity to another victory in the presidential election, but he made a promise to do not seek a second elected term so he handpicked a successor. Taft easily defeated the Democratic candidate, William Jennings Bryan and the Socialist candidate, Eugene Debs in what can be construed as continued public endorsement of Teddy Roosevelt. Unfortunately, Taft did not live up to Roosevelts standards or even the expectation of other progressives. He really lacked Roosevelts strength of personality and was really passive in his dealings with the Congress. In fact it seemed like Taft didnt possess the mental and physical stamina necessary to be an effective leader of a nation. The first major mess of Taft was the Payne-Aldrich of 1909. That action marked the commencement of an internal struggle for control of the Republican Party. Another issue that caused confusion in the government and that was seen as a betrayal of Taft was the conservation issues. On the Ballinger-Pinchot dispute he fired Pinchot (the leader of the Department of Forestry who attacked Secretary of the Interior Richard Ballinger for how he handled public lands) for insubordination. That act infuriated the public and the legions of politicians loyal to Roosevelt. Despite all the things that Taft may have done, he have passed more bills than Roosevelt have done in his presidency even though he didnt have the same popularity. The split in the Republican Party made the Democrats optimistic about regaining the White House for the first time for the first time since 1897. They sought a reformist candidate to challenge the Republicans and selected Woodrow Wilson. Wilsons New Freedom platform sought reduced tariffs, banking reform and stronger antitrust legislation. Wilson easily won the majority of electoral votes. Upon taking office, he arrived at the White House with a clear agenda and the drive to achieve all his goals. Wilsons platform called for an assault on the triple wall of privilege, which consisted of tariffs, banks and trusts. He set to reduce the prohibitive tariffs that were hurting American businesses and consumers. Congress designed the Underwood Tariff Bill, which reduced import fees. The Underwood Tariff Bill brought the 1st significant reduction of duties since before the Civil War. After attacking the tariff, Wilson turned his attention to the nations banks. The financial structure was really outdated and its inefficiencies had been exposed by the republicans economic expansion and the panic of 1907. Wilson endorsed the idea of a decentralized bank and urged the Congress to change the banking system. The Congress passed a Federal Reserve Act, which was arguably the greatest piece of legislation between the Civil War and Roosevelts New Deal. This new system also issued Federal Reserve Notes, paper currency that quickly allowed the

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government to adjust the flow money. The Federal Reserve Act allowed America to meet the financial challenges of WWI and emerge from the war as one of the worlds financial powers. President Wilson turned his attention to the trusts. Although the legislation designed to address the issue of trusts had existed for many years, there were still so many issues. He asked the congress to create a legislation that would finally address trusts and tame the rampant monopolies. After several months, the Congress presented Wilson with the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914; it allowed the government to regulate companies in interstate commerce, it also investigated unfair trading practices such as false advertising, bribery and misrepresentation. Following the FTC Act of 1914, was the Clayton Act of 1914. It served to strengthen the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 which provided support for labor unions by exempting labor from antitrust prosecution and legalizing strikes and peaceful picketing. The progressive era had presidents who produced a number of notable achievements. Trust-busting forced industrialists and monopolistic corporations to consider public opinion when making business decisions. It benefited the consumer and helped grow the economy. The progressive presidents also increased consumers rights by limiting corporate abuses and trying to ensure the safe labeling of food and drugs. The creation of a federal income tax system lowered tax system lowered tariffs and increased Americas presence as a global trading partner. It also raised additional revenues, some which were used for beneficial programs such as conservation. Progressivism as a concept helped challenge traditional thinking about governments relationship to the people. Along with these significant accomplishments, the progressive movement also had a number of notable shortcomings. Although most Progressives had good intentions, their conflicting goals helped detract from the overall objectives of the movement. The Progressive movement was not a complete success, but it did serve to spark new ideas and new ways of thinking about business and government. It launched a new school of thought that challenged some traditional ideas and allowed several new politicians to break the ice and lead the country in a new direction.