Chapter 18 Section 3

Progressivism Under Taft and Wilson

Conservationist

• People who favor the protection of natural resources

How did Taft offend conservationists, and what was the result?

• He appointed Richard Ballinger as Secretary of the Interior– Ballinger opposed

conservation– Sided with businesses

and unrestricted development

How did Taft offend conservationists, and what was the result?

• This offended Gifford Pinchot

• Head of the U.S. Forest Service

• He’s the guy that developed many of Teddy’s conservationist policies

• His opposition eventually resulted in Taft firing him

How did Taft offend conservationists, and what was the result?

• It turn out, Ballinger may have illegally given some businesses access to land in Alaska– Never proven– But eventually had to

resign– Pinchot was a hero in

the eyes of the people– Hurt Taft’s popularity

What progressive reforms did Taft achieve?

• Reserved public lands• Antitrust suits• Supported Children’s

Bureau• Supported 16th and 17th

Amendments• Supported Mann-Elkins

Act (helped ICC regulate telegraph & telephone rates)

New Nationalism

• Teddy ran on his platform of New Nationalism in 1912– Business regulation– Welfare laws– Workplace protection for

women and children– Income and inheritance

taxes– Voting reform

Bull Moose Party

• Nickname of the Progressive Party

• TR ran for President in 1912 as a member of this party– The Republicans

nominated a more conservative Taft over TR

What effect did the Bull Moose Party have on the election of 1912?

• It split the Republican vote– Allowing the Democratic

candidate, Woodrow Wilson, to win the Presidency with only 42% of the vote

What reforms did Woodrow Wilson seek?

• Reduce tariffs• Eliminating trusts• Overhaul of American

banking• Impose federal limits on

child labor

Clayton Antitrust Act

• Legalized unions and strikes, limited the issuing of injunctions against unions

Federal Trade Commission

• Worked to eliminate unfair business tactics

Federal Reserve System

• Established a national banking system– Divided country into 12

districts)• Created a new form of

currency (federal reserve notes)

• Stabilized banking system as a whole

In what ways were the achievements of progressivism limited?

• Focused mainly on municipal reform

• Did little for tenant and migrant farmers

• Did not really help nonunionized workers

• Did little to help African Americans

• Actually help to extend Jim Crow laws– Especially under

Woodrow Wilson