US vs. Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson

Who is a “Progressive President”

Three Presidents have claimed to be a Progressive President. You are a judge in the court of history and must decide.

Format

• Each president will state their case based on their accomplishments

• You will form an opinion based on the four goals for the progressive movement.

• You will express your opinion in an essay that discusses how your choice for Progressive President fulfills each goal.

Goals of Progressivism

1. Protect social welfare

2. Promote moral improvement

3. Create economic reform

4. Foster efficiency

Theodore Roosevelt

• Settlement of 1902 coal strike favoring workers but did not recognize union

• Filed 44 suits against businesses under Sherman Anti-Trust Act

• Elkins and Hepburn acts strengthen ICC

• Pushed passage of Meat Inspection and Pure Food and Drug Acts

• Set aside lands for National parks, and preserves

• Commerce and Labor Depts. established

William H. Taft

• “Busted” twice as many trusts as Roosevelt.

• Payne-Aldrich Tariff which lowered overall rates*

• Mann-Elkins Act strengthened the ICC placed telephone and telegraph under ICC

• Standard Oil Co. was successfully prosecuted

• 16th Amendment ratified—income tax

Woodrow Wilson

• Passage of Underwood Tariff—lowering rate

• Federal Reserve Act—created a central banking system

• Federal Trade Commission

• Clayton Anti-trust Act

• Child Labor Laws

• 17th,18th,and 19th amendments passed