Roosevelt to Wilson

Mr. Phillip Olt

US History

Professions

• Professions began to organize and self-regulate during the Progressive Era

– Ex. Doctors and the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1901

Social-Justice Movement

• Charitable organizations rose up together to improve conditions

– Child labor legislation

– Better and more equitable working conditions for women

– Raised codes for multi-family housing

– More parks, playgrounds, schools, and community centers

Reform

• Reform finally came in the late Progressive Era • Pragmatism started to take over as William

James led the push to regard truth as whatever worked – Thus, if people were happy, something must be right

and true – John Dewey applied pragmatism to education by

focusing on student needs rather than an absolute curriculum

– Law began to change with the view going from an absolute unchanging law to one that reflected the environment that shaped it (Discuss Muller v. Oregon)

President Roosevelt

• Went aggressively after trusts and corrupt businesses – “There is a widespread conviction in the minds of the

American people that the great corporations known as trusts are in certain features and tendencies hurtful to the general welfare.” ~T.R. speech to Congress, 1901

– Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution: “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States…”

– Discussion: What was Roosevelt really saying and doing in his speech to Congress?

President Roosevelt

• Focused on regulating railroads, food, and drugs, as well as seeking a balanced approach to resolving union disputes

– What was the difference between how Roosevelt handled labor disputes versus the past 20 years? Why?

Roosevelt Conservation

• Roosevelt wanted to conserve America’s natural beauty for generations to come

• Pushed for millions of acres of national parks and preserves as President

William Howard Taft

• President from 1909-1913

• Was a Republican like Roosevelt, but both sides of his party hated him – Especially the Progressives

• Taft’s corruption and extreme conservatism alienated Roosevelt and the rest of the Republican party

Taft Fallout

• Republican party split for the election of 1912, creating the Progressive Party with Teddy Roosevelt as candidate

– After Roosevelt said that he felt as strong as a bull moose, the name of the party was changed to the Bull Moose Party

Taft Fallout

• Republican party split for the election of 1912, creating the Progressive Party with Teddy Roosevelt as candidate – After Roosevelt said that he felt as strong as a bull

moose, the name of the party was changed to the Bull Moose Party

• As a result of the Republican split, Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, won the election of 1912 – He took Roosevelt’s idea of New Nationalism to create

a national (not state) approach to problems and a strong Presidency to solve them