Roosevelt and Wilson

THE BULL MOOSE AND THE PROFESSOR

Roosevelt Becomes President• Republican; 1901-1909 – the “Square

Deal”• McKinley was assassinated six

months into his second term– Succeeded by his VP Theodore

Roosevelt• Background

– Aristocratic family, graduated from Harvard

– Tremendous energy, rancher, outdoorsman, historian, politician

– NY Assemblyman, Federal Civil Service Commissioner, NYC Police Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy

– Governor of NY in 1898, civil service and tax reforms, independence from mainstream Republicans

– Received the nomination for VP to put him in a position of little power

Roosevelt’s Views• Strong leadership

– Considered himself morally bound to further interests of the people

– Used power and prestige of office to provide strong leadership

• “Square Deal”– Believed the government should

• Assure honesty and fairness in both government and business

• Give greater economic opportunity to the individual

• Theme of his administration to provide a “square deal” to all groups: businessmen, laborers, farmers, and consumers

Roosevelt as President• Election of 1904

– Gained much support for his square deal and strong leadership and won election easily

– Being officially elected further invigorated him

• Relationship to Progressivism– Opposed socialists and

radicals who wanted to end private enterprise

– Condemned wealthy who resisted change and abused power

– Represented middle class moderate reform

Vigorous Government• Stopping “Bad” Trusts

– Said big business must adjust to public welfare– Began over 40 anti-trust suits; “trustbuster”

• Settling the Anthracite Coal Strike– 1902 United Mine Workers went on strike;

winter approaching and people needed coal – TR threatened to take mines, but owners

agreed to a Presidential arbitration commission– Awarded workers wage increase and shorter

hours but not union recognition– Roosevelt emerged as a friend to laborers and

established a new presidential power to settle strikes

• Conserving natural Resources– Substantially increased national reserves of

forests, coal lands, and waterpower sites– Financed irrigation projects– Encouraged conservation by the Forest Service– Brought conservation to national attention

• Protecting the Consumer and Railroad user– Pure Food and Drug Act, Meat inspection Act,

Hepburn Act (expanded power of Interstate Commerce Commission)

Taft Administration• Election of 1908

– Roosevelt’s chosen successor– Promised to continue

Roosevelt’s policies– Defeated Dem. Candidate

William Jennings Bryant (lost the presidential election for the 3rd and last time)

• Background– Federal judge, Gov. of the

Philippines, Sec. of War: little experience dealing with people

– Unable to rouse public support and had a limited view of president’s role

– Personal integrity and keen mind (would later be more successful as the chief justice of the SC)

Antagonizing the Progressives• Tariffs

– Passed tariff act that did not lower tariffs as much a Roosevelt wanted

• Conservation– Supported his Interior secretary Ballinger in a

controversy against Roosevelt’s Head of Forest Service Pinchot

– Alienated Roosevelt and Progressives• Reform in the House of Representatives

– Did not support Progressives in limiting power of the Speaker of the House

– Democrats and Progressives succeeded in taking power of appointing members to committees and Speaker not allowed on the Rules Committee

• Result:– Taft associated with “Old Guard” of the

Republicans; Roosevelt supported the new, Progressive Republicans

• Accomplishments of Taft– Twice as many antitrust suits as TR– Proposed 16th (Income tax) and 17th (direct

election of senators) amendments• Both passed in 1913

– Increased power of the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission)

Election of 1912• Taft won nomination for

Republican Party• Roosevelt angry at

Taft’s policies, decided to run– Created new Progressive

Party (aka the Bull Moose Party because TR often said he was as strong as a “bull moose”)

– Split the Republican party and the progressive Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson won the election

Wilson’s Presidency

• Professor of history (woot!!), President of Princeton University, Gov. of NJ

• Known as the Schoolmaster or Professor• High ideals, lacked personal warmth but

eloquent orator• Wilson’s Views

– Strong leadership• Utilized presidential powers to fullest• Called congress into special session and

appeared personally before Congress to request legislation(first time since Jefferson), used patronage to get votes, won public support to turn wavering congressmen: – considered highly successful president

for strong leadership in passing legislation

– “New Freedom”• Disliked extremes of great wealth• Sought to strengthen democratic, capitalist

society by progressive reforms:– Lower tariffs, improved banking system,

stronger business regulation, protection for unions and workers

• Election of 1916 – Wilson won with slogan “He kept us out of the

War” then we joined WWI in 1917…but more about that later