Chapter 28&29America on the World Stage

Progressivism & Republican RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt and the Modern Presidency

Roosevelt became president after William McKinley was assassinated in 1901.o 42 and youngest ever to assume the presidency

Roosevelt very admired public figure and was considered an idol Roosevelt very conservative

o Saw federal government as mediator (someone who stands in between) of public good with president at its center

o Urged regulation of trade not destructiono Government to investigate activities of corporations

Department of Commerce and Labor 1902 ordered Justice Department to enforce Sherman

Antitrust Act against a new Rail Road monopoly

Square Deal Series of reform movements that include: Railroad Reform

o Asked for legislation to increase government’s power to oversee railroad rates

Hepburn Railroad Regulation Act No more two different fares, no more being charged more

if you’re shipping farm goods, and no more discrimination Still have it, and businesses have to follow standard policy

—it’s just expanded Pressured Congress for Pure Food & Drug Act Restrict sale of dangerous or ineffective medicines Because of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Roosevelt asked for the Meat Inspection

Acto He was so nauseated from reading it, that there was no way he couldn’t

make the act Miscellaneous:

o 8 hour work dayo Broader compensation for victims of industrial accidentso Inheritance and income taxeso Regulation of stock marketo National Reclamation Act

Newlands Act Parks, reservations, etc

Square refers to treating everyone equally—as equal as possible

The Panic of 1907 Government still had little control over economy

o Industrial production outran capacity of domestic and foreign marketso Banking system and stock market inadequate

Not equipped to handle too many supplies Conservatives blamed Roosevelt J.P. Morgan constructed a pool of assets from several banks

o Said key was to purchase by U.S. Steel of shares of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company

Morgan asked and got assurances purchase would not prompt antitrust action The panic subsided and Roosevelt congratulated

Progressivism Solving problems of industrialization Focused on: political reform and consumer protection

o Regulation of businesses to stop concentration of powero Social justice for poor and workerso Social control of morals – drinking, prostitution, movies, etc...

Willing to use government to meet their endso Free government from control of corrupt big business

Wanted to make government more accessible to ordinary people

Muckrakers Teddy Roosevelt accused them of raking up muck through their writings They go and investigate and talk about all of the bad

o Point out where all of the weaknesses are Among first to articulate new spirit of reform Directed public attention toward social, economic, and political injustices

o Caused public outrage at corruption and incompetence in city politics

The Settlement House Response to problems of crowded immigrant neighborhoods Hull House – Jane Adams of Chicago

o Sought to help immigrant families adapt to the language and customs of their new country

Profession of social work spawned from the Settlement Houseo “Women’s Work”

Women Suffrage Suffrage not mean challenge but rather allow women to bring ‘virtue’ to society

o War would become a thing of the past 1920 – 19th Amendment gave political rights to women Not all women satisfied with the 19th Amendment

o Alice Paul – head of the National Women’s Party Equal Rights Amendment: constitutional amendment to provide

clear legal protection Jane Adams and other denounced the Equal Right’s Amendment The suffrage movement only about right to vote

The Assault on the Parties Need to reform government City-manager plan – elected officials hired an outside expert to take charge of the

government Introduced:

o Initiative – allows new legislation to be submitted directly to the voters in a general election

o Referendum – allowed the voters to approve or disprove of actions taken by the legislation

o Direct Primary – allowed the selection of candidates to be given to people rather than bosses

o Recall – gives voters the right to remove a public official from office with a special election after a sufficient number of citizens sign a petition

o You now have a voice! Robert La Follett (Wisconsin) most celebrated

Sources of Progressive ReformAfrican American and Reform

Booker T. Washington – focused on working on immediate self improvement rather than long-rage social change

Not everyone was content with that approach W.E.B. Du Boise

o Born in Massachusetts and educated at Fisk University and Harvard Wrote The Souls of Black Folk (1903)

o Attacked the philosophy of Washingtono Accused him of encouraging white to impose segregationo Claimed that Washington was limiting the aspiration of his race

Advocated: Full universal education, aspire to professions, and fight for restoration of civil rights

In 1905, DuBois and his supporters met at the Niagra movement in Canadao National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Led drive for equal rights using lawsuits as weapons Guun Vs. United States – Ruled grandfather clause in

Oklahoma was unconstitutional

Buchanan Vs. Worley – struck down law requiring residential segregation

NAACP never radicalo Never stressed using anything outside of the lawo Stressed opportunity for exceptional African Americans to gain positions

of full equalityo Theory was by creating a trained elite, African Americans would create a

leadership group capable of fighting for the rights of the race as a whole

Crusades and ReformThe Temperance Crusade

Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) – became single largest women’s organization of the time

o Publicized evils of alcohol and connection between drunkenness and family violence, unemployment, poverty, and disease

By 1916, 19 states had passed prohibition laws January of 1920, the 18th amendment was passed, officially outlawing alcohol

o Prohibition Cops are never the one’s to follow prohibition Speak Easy’s – find all of the alcohol there, underground

Industrial Workers of the World A.K.A. “Wobblies” Leader – William “Big Bill” Haywood

o Better hours, better pay, and better conditions Advocated single union for all workers and abolition of slave wage system Rejected political action in favor of strikes Eventually government shut them down More moderated come to power to make real changes Injunction – a petition to stop from doing something Were able to bring attention to the problem, but not save it

The Big Stick America and the WorldRoosevelt and “Civilization”

“Speak softly, but carry a big stick” Civilized nations: predominantly white and Anglo-Saxon (from the Eastern

European sides), well-developed industrial Uncivilized nations: Nonwhite, Latin, or Slavic, not industrialized Japan only exception

o Producers of industrial goods Believed in an economic relationship between two groups of nations

o Civilized society had right and duty to intervene in the affairs of “backward” nations

Protecting the Open Door in Asia

1904, Japanese attacked Russian fleet Roosevelt agreed to mediate

o Russia recognized Japan’s territorial gainso Japan stopped fightingo Roosevelt negotiated secret agreement to ensure US continued trade in

area, behind closed doors US stays in the biggest place—they have more things of it Roosevelt won Nobel Peace Prize Not a single peep is made, about this secret agreement to keep the

US on top Soon US and Japan relations deteriorated “Yellow Peril”

o Anti-Asian reports in newspapers Japanese

o Riots broke out California

o “Oriental School”o “Great White Fleet”

Roosevelt hinted at war Japan finally limited immigration to ease tension

The Iron-Fisted Neighbor 1902 Venezuela began reneging on debts

o Britain, Italy, and Germany blockaded the Venezuelan coasto German ships then bombarded the port

Roosevelt used threat of American naval power to pressure Germany to withdrawo Used Monroe Doctrine against Germany

“Roosevelt Corollary” – added to Monroe Doctrineo Gave US right to oppose European intervention in Western Hemisphere

US has the right to go to war if it is ever breeched Don’t have to ask congress, or anything

o Allowed US to intervene in domestic affairs of its neighbors if they proved unable to maintain order on their own

US goes down as the “Iron-Fisted Neighbor” to protect

The Panama Canal Most celebrated accomplishment of Roosevelt’s presidency was the Canal Step One: Hay-Pauncefote Treaty

o Between America and Britaino Canceled 1850 pact to build any canal togethero US now free to act alone

Step Two: Choose a site Panama Canal opened in 1914 Roosevelt concludes his terms on a positive note-doesn’t challenge the two terms

The Troubled Succession

William Howard Taft Becomes President in 1908Roosevelt

Most dynamic public figure Sportsman and athlete Expansive view of powers of the office

Taft Lacks dynamic personality Well respected, but little more Sedentary & obese

o 350 lbso Special tub

Slow and cautious about rules

Pinchot-Ballinger Controversy Taft replaced Roosevelt’s Sec. of Interior

o Appointed Richard A. Ballinger Ballinger tried to remove nearly a million acres of forests and mineral reserves

from public landso This is not illegal—he’s doing it in order to pump money back into the

governmento Make them available for private development

Louise Glavis, investigator for Interior Dept charged Ballinger with conniving to turn over valuable public lands for personal profit

o Insider trading Taft ordered attorney general to investigate

o Ruled charges were groundless Pinchot not satisfied

o He leaked story to the press and asked Congress to investigate the scandal He hinted that Taft may be a lot like Grant

Taft discharged Pinchot for insubordination and Congress exonerated Ballingero Exonerate – making free and clear

Progressives = Ballinger Roosevelt supporters now feel alienated from Taft

Started out as a simple scandal that escalates *Represents clash in economic development

o Pinchot: carefully supervised economic growtho Ballinger: (westerns) saw regulations as impediment to their own

economic ambitions

“New Nationalism” Roosevelt’s return to politics

o Broke away from Taft and Republicans Roosevelt supported:

o Graduated income tax and inheritance taxo Worker’s compensation for industrial accidentso Child and Women labor reform o Tariff revisiono Firmer regulation of corporations

Spreading Insurgency Congressional elections of 1910 Republicans suffered defeat Almost all progressive incumbents reelected Democrats won control of House and gained strength in the Senate Roosevelt claimed he had no interest in presidency anymore, but he will change

his mind because of two things that happened (1) October 27, 1911, Taft announced a lawsuit against U.S. Steel charging the

1907 acquisition of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company had been illegal Roosevelt was enraged by the implication that he acted improperly while

president (2) Robert La Follett was to run for the Republican nomination, but suffered a

breakdown after his daughter’ illness. He decided not to run and lost his supporters

On February 22, 1912, Roosevelt announced his candidacy for president

The Republican Division Roosevelt, champion of the progressives Taft, candidate of the conservatives Up for grabs: 254 contested delegate votes Roosevelt needed fewer than half to win, but will receive only 19 The next day, Roosevelt led his supporters out of the convention and out of the

party Roosevelt launched new progressive party

o Bull Moose Party His cause was pretty much lost (1) A lot of former supporters refused to leave the Republican Party (2) The man the Democrats will nominate offers a much better alternative to Taft

than Roosevelt will

Woodrow Wilson and the New FreedomThe Election

Taft delivered a few speeches then lapsed into virtual silence Roosevelt campaigned energetically, but failed to draw any significant numbers

He had been wounded by would-be assassin Roosevelt and Taft split the Republican vote while Wilson held on to most of the

democrats

Wilson wins and becomes next president

Wilson’s New Freedom Wilson was a bold and forceful president

o Goes after the big businesses Believed big business was unjust and inefficient

o Destroy rather than regulate Underwood-Simmons Tariff

o Established cuts in order to introduce real competition into American markets to break up the power of trusts

Used 16th amendment to offset lost money Wilson next tackled the issues of reforming the banking system

Federal Reserve Act December 23, 1913 – Most important piece of domestic legislation Act created 12 Regional Banks, each owned and controlled by individual banks in

district The regional Federal Reserve banks would hold certain percentage of assets of

member banks in reserves Federal Reserve Notes – new type of paper currency that would become nations’

medium of trade National Federal Reserve Board – supervise and regulate entire system…

presidential appointments

The Problem of Trusts In 1914, Wilson proposed 2 measures to deal with monopolies and trusts (1) Create a federal agency through which the government would help business

police itselfo Federal Trade Commission

Investigate and prosecute for “unfair trade practices” Did not define what “unfair” meant

(2) Strengthen the government’s power to prosecute and dismantle trusts Clayton Antitrust Act

Government supervision rather than destruction

Foreign Policy“Pancho” Villa

Cross between bandit and Robin Hoodo “Restore Mexico back to its glory”

Hated Huerta and wanted to revolt Took 16 Americans off train and killed them

o He makes America believe that it was the Mexican governmento Hoped to cause war between Mexico and US

General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing ordered to stop raido Mexican government helps with it

o Threatened but not able to capture Villa Villa finally got tired

o Formally gives up, takes responsibility for the 16 dead, and it allows Wilson to restore the relationship with Mexico

Thunder Across the Sea Austria-Hungary’s Arch Duke Ferdinand killed by Serb patriot

o Serbia and Russia together so Russia mounted forces Germany attacked France Great Britain sucked in as help for France Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria Allies: France, Britain, Russia, Japan, and Italy

Uneasy Neutrality Both sides to persuade US to give up neutrality British and French war needs produced boom for US Germany mad and made submarines war area around British waters May 7, 1915, Lusitanian blown up

o 128 American diedo Torpedoed

August 1915, Arabic sunko 2 Americans died

March 1916, Sussex sunk Wilson threatened war and Germany gave in

Election of 1916 Progressives wanted Teddy to run again

o Refused on grounds of hating Wilson so much Republicans also wanted Teddy, but settles on Charles Hughes

o Former Supreme Court justice and governor Campaign close Hughes won the east easily

o Newspapers reported victory California ultimately decided election and Wilson won Most Americans thought Wilson = no war… but were they wrong!