1 The Progressive Movement: 1901-1912
Chapter Learning Objectives 2 Discuss the origins and nature of the progressive movement. Describe how the early progressive movement developed its roots at the city and state levels. Describe how Pres. Roosevelt began applying progressive principles to the national economy. Explain why Taft s policies offended progressives. Describe how Roosevelt led a progressive revolt against Taft that openly divided the Republican Party.
3 The Progressive Movement 1901-1912 * AIMS * ORIGINS * POLITICAL PROGRESSIVISM
AIMS to restore the government to the hands of the people. to use this properly controlled gov t to regulate industry, finance, transportation, agriculture, foreign policy to use gov t as an agency of human welfare 4
The Origins & Nature of the Progressive Movement 5 FOREIGN ORIGINS Socialist new immigrants from Europe Received inspiration from nations abroad DOMESTIC ORIGINS advocates of the Social Gospel feminists enter the fight to clean up corruption in city govt. muckrakers exposed society s evils
Journalists Lincoln Steffens The Shame of the Cities corrupt alliance between big business/ municipal govt. Ida Tarbell The History of the Standard Oil Co. how Standard Oil fleeced consumers, ruined competition David G. Phillips The Treason of the Senate revealed corruption caused by the Trusts, Railroads Upton Sinclair The Jungle exposed the conditions in meat packing industry 6
INTELLECTUALS Thorsten Veblen (1899) The Theory of the Leisure Class exposed the inefficiencies of laissez-faire capitalism castigated society for conspicuous consumption 7 JACOB RIIS (1890) wrote How the Other Half Lives an indictment of slum conditions in the cities
Influence of the Social Activists and Muckrakers 8 counted on publicity of evils to right social wrongs sought to cleanse capitalism, not to overthrow it believed cures for American society would come from more democracy
POLITICAL PROGRESSIVISM ATTRIBUTES emerged in both political parties, in all regions at all levels of government was the majority mood of the country Progressives were mainly middle class men & women shared goals included curbing the power of the trusts stemming the perceived Socialist threat by improving living and labor conditions 9
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES pushed for direct primary elections (undercut bossism) favored legislative reforms (Popular sovereignty) initiative referendum recall direct election of U.S. Senators (17th Amen) Women s Suffrage (19th Amendment, 1920) elimination of graft at all levels of government most reforms originated in the Western states 10
The Early Progressive Movement roots developed at the local and state levels Strive for more democracy; more direct role, voice City Government; eliminate corruption, political machines Commission Plan (Galveston, Tx. 1900) government by experts City Manager Plan (Dayton, Ohio, 1913) employ trained city managers run city efficiently, business-like 11
STATE GOVERNMENT 12 State reformers (governors) Robert M. LaFollette (Wisconsin) Hiram Johnson (California) Charles Evans Hughes (New York)
SOCIAL LEGISLATION Protection of Workers child labor laws passed maximum working hours 10 hr. day (Muller v. Oregon, 1908) worker s compensation laws sweatshop laws (Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire, 1911) development of the concept of the employers responsibility to society: replaced strict laissez-faire 13
14 Roosevelt and the era of Progressive Politics
Objectives: 15 1. To examine how Roosevelt began applying progressive principles to the national economy. 2. To explain why Taft s policies offended progressives, especially Roosevelt. 3. Describe how Roosevelt led the progressive revolt against Taft that openly divided the Republican Party.
Theodore Roosevelt and Progressivism Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 United Mine Workers strike over wages, working conditions, union recognition mine owners refused to negotiate or arbitrate with workers TR threatened to operate coal mines with Federal troops owners agreed to Federal arbitration first time the threat of Federal power was used against capital, not labor. 16
Roosevelt and Progressivism 17 Roosevelt s program was the Square Deal for capital, labor, & the public control of corporations consumer protection conservation of natural resources
The Square Deal #1: Control of Corporations TR urged Congress to create a Dept. of Commerce & Labor and a Bureau of Corporations (1903) both were authorized to investigate business combinations, and harmful practices to interstate commerce 18
Northern Securities Company Case (1902) was a railroad holding company sought to achieve a monopoly in the Northwest. Supreme Court ordered the trust dissolved ruled it was a combination in restrain of trade under the Sherman Antitrust Act TR was then encouraged to seek other reforms 19
Railroad Regulation Elkins Act (1903) 20 made granting and accepting secret rebates illegal railroads had to publish their rates and make them public
Hepburn Act (1906) expanded Interstate Commerce Commission, gave it real power to regulate rates forbade free railroad passes, except to railroad employees I.C.C. could nullify existing rates, and stipulate the maximum rates that were allowed. The Hepburn Act forced the railroads to surrender their interlocking interests in steamship lines and coal companies 21
TR s Trust-busting Philosophy 22 1. smashing all monopolies was not good for the country 2. there were good trusts, and bad trusts. 3. government should regulate, not fragment the big business combines. SYMBOLISM--> the government, not big business ruled the country
Square Deal # 2: Consumer Protection 23 Policy centered on Public Health measures Sinclair s The Jungle exposed the meat packing industry foreign governments threatened to ban importation of U.S. meat Meat Inspection Act (1906) passed by Congress federal inspection of meat shipped interstate Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) prevent adulteration/ mislabeling of foods and drugs
Square Deal # 3: Conservation of Natural Resources by 1900, U.S. faced exhaustion of discovered mineral and natural resources. conservationist TR took action NEW LANDS ACT (1902) (water in the west, why? $ from sale of western lands --> irrigation projects in the West established revolving fund to pay for more water projects effect--> rivers dammed, land became irrigated, productive Conservation may be TR s most enduring tangible achievement 24
Problems in the Republican Party: Roosevelt s Panic of 1907 25 TR s actions during his second term caused uncertainty in the business community TR lost some influence after his 1904 re-election by announcing that he would not run in 1908 (he became a lame duck) TR s Square Deal program unsettled Wall Street for a short time
The Panic of 1907 paved the way for needed financial reforms need for a more elastic money supply exposed need for ways to increase money in circulation Congress passed the Aldrich Vreeland Act which allowed national banks to issue emergency currency backed by specified collateral foreshadowed the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 26
Problems in the Republican Party Roosevelt and Taft 27 Roosevelt chose Wm. Howard Taft to be his successor in 1908 Candidates in the 1908 Campaign Republicans: Taft (winner) Democrats: Wm. Jennings Bryan Socialists: Eugene V. Debs
Theodore Roosevelt s Contributions 28 1. Enlarged the power and prestige of the Presidency 2. Roosevelt helped shape the Progressive movement of his times, and future liberal reforms of the 20th Century
29 Progressivism: 1908-1912 The Presidency of William Howard Taft
Taft as President 30 Wm. Howard Taft was mildly progressive. He was wedded to the status quo He came under the influence of the Old Guard of the Republican Party. The Old Guard was very resistant to the progressive reforms introduced by Roosevelt.
Dollar Diplomacy 31 Taft believed the U.S. should use foreign policy to protect American business interests and American investments abroad. He used Wall Street investments in foreign nations to uphold our foreign policy. Wall Street invested in areas of strategic concern to the U.S. Far East, Caribbean, Central America
Taft s Progressivism: 1909-1912 32
Taft s Progressivism 33 Taft, as a trust-buster, had an outstanding record. 1911, The Standard Oil Company was ordered dissolved. The Supreme Court redefined the Sherman Anti-trust act. Added the Rule of Reason : The Sherman Act outlawed business combinations that unduly or unreasonably restrained trade.
The Tariff Question 34 Taft endorsed a lowering of the tariff in the 1908 Presidential campaign. In Congress, the bill that passed actually raised tariff rates, and was pro-business. Taft signed the new Payne-Aldrich Tariff in 1909. This new tariff outraged progressives and alienated Taft from the progressive wing of the Republican party.
The Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy:1910 Grew out of western opposition to conservation measures because they inhibited the development of the West. Secretary of the Interior Ballinger opened western public lands to corporate development. 35
Gifford Pinchot of the Agriculture Department (a Roosevelt confidant) criticized Ballinger s actions as being detrimental to the conservation effort. Taft dismissed Pinchot Taft threw his weight behind the conservatives and supported Ballinger. Ballinger opened over 1 million acres of land that Roosevelt had reserved for conservation. 36
37 This event exposed the wide gap between the progressive wing of the Republican Party and the Old Guard. Reformers believed Taft was undermining Roosevelt s conservation program.
Speaker of the House Controversy Joe Cannon was the most powerful Speaker, since Henry Clay. Cannon opposed nearly all social-welfare programs and as Chairman of the House Rules Committee. He decided which bills would be discussed. Progressive members wanted to take some of the Speaker s powers away. Conservatives opposed any erosion of the Speaker s powers. Taft further alienated the progressive wing by supporting Cannon. 38
The 1910 Congressional Election 39 Many progressives campaigned against Taft-supported candidates. Roosevelt campaigned for a number of these progressives. TR s speeches called for New Nationalism, urged the federal government to increase its power to solve social and economic abuses. Control of Congress split: Dem/House; Rep/Senate.
The Split in the Republican Party 40 At the Republican National Convention in 1912, progressive Republicans supported LaFollette. Roosevelt refused to support either LaFollette, or Taft and announced that he was running for president. Roosevelt openly split with Taft and the Old Guard. Roosevelt had decided that the policies of Taft were not progressive enough.
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Taft, and the Old Guard, controlled the Republican Convention machinery and denied Roosevelt the nomination. Roosevelt and his followers walked-out of the convention, proclaimed themselves to be the progressive party. The Progressives (Bull Moose Party) nominated Roosevelt for president, with Gov. Hiram Johnson for vice-president. Platform included elimination of child labor, women s suffrage, 8 hour work-day 42
The Rise of Political Women in 1912 43