The AmericanPageantChapter 29:Wilsonian

Progressivism at Home and Abroad

1912-1916

COVER SLIDE

BULL MOOSE CAMPAIGN OF 1912

Democrats nominate (Thomas) Woodrow Wilson – Progressive Idealist

New Jersey governor Past president of

Princeton Born in the South Believed the

President shouldplay a dynamic role

Republicans nominate William H. Taft (again) a mild Progressive

Theodore Roosevelt bolts the Republican Party & joins with the Progressive Party

The Bull Moose Party

' I F l AM ELtC.'1"€0 \\ . W \ \ .\ . C b . .\..\ .. J ) .

'c.'l(Y R A S t \0 0

( . ' Q N ( jE.St;. A• O CE,TQ E N A<:., L A Wf OA Ho n t:\I'." P t R ((.TIOM

T. A . ·

IF' '

1912 ELECTION Wilson wins the

election with fewer votes than Bryan in any of his 3 attempts

435 EV, 6 million Pop. Republican Party is

split but combine for 7 Million popular votes

Roosevelt & Taft had been friends – now bitter enemies

Bull Moose Party = Roosevelt will win 88 EV most successful 3

Party ever.

rd

WILSON THE IDEALIST

Born in Virginia and raised in Georgia – first Southern

president in 64 years Believed south should have had the right to secede –

promotes self-determination Son of Presbyterian minister – against evil Somewhat cold in public –he was self-assured and

superior especially toward politicians and journalists

He found compromise difficult

TRIPLE WALL OF PRIVILEGE

Tariff Banks Trusts All hurting the public

in some way or another and therefore Wilson’s program was to solve them

WILSON AND THE TARIFF

Calls Congress into special session – he delivered his presidential message to a joint session of Congress in person (had not been done since Adams)

Underwood Tariff Bill 1913-down to 27% 16th Amendment = Incometax (over $3,000)

WILSON AND THE BANKS

Still using the Civil War National Banking Act

a temporary measure at the time

shortcoming – inelasticity of currency

1908 (Senate) Aldrich investigation – recommendation: huge bank with many branches

HoR Rep Arsene Pujo: $$ traced to hidden vaults of US banks & businesses

Louis D. Brandies’ Other People’s Money and How the Bankers Use It

1914 book showing that the wealthy were consolidating funds and establishing a monopoly

He will testify for Pujo

These illustrations came from Harper’s Weekly’s Other People’sMoney articles by Brandeis.

WILSON AND THE BANKS

Federal Reserve Act 1913 Most important

economic legislation between Civil War and New Deal

Establishes a Federal ReserveSystem Restricted private

control of money and banks

12 regional reserve districts and a central bank

Banks are for bankers Issue Federal Reserve Notes

LOUIS D. BRANDEIS

Muller v Oregon, 1908: Brandeis convinced the Supreme

Court to use sociological & statistical evidence upholding an Oregon law that regulated the working conditions of women (10 hour day)

Significance: first such evidence acknowledged by law in the US

1916 is appointed to the SupremeCourt Wilson nomination

First person of Jewish faith to serve on Supreme Court

_.,,.

1.-, -

Reforming Our Currcncy

Ireland ·in lhc Cohu11 bus Disf,wtc/1

WILSON AND THE TRUSTS

Federal Trade Commission

of 1914 Crush

monopolies by eliminating

1. Unfair trade practices

2. Unlawful competition

3. False advertising4. Bribery5. Has investigative

powers

WILSON AND THE TRUSTS

Clayton Anti-Trust Act 1914 Attacks price

discrimination and interlocking directorates (same individuals were on the boards of competing firms)

Labor and agriculture both exempted from anti-trust action

Allowed strikes and peaceful picketing

Samuel Gompers called it the ―Magna Carta of labor

DANBURY HATTER’S CASE 1908

Example of why Clayton Anti-Trust Act needed to

exempt labor as a monopoly: Strike has lasted several months and the hat

company lost $250,000 US Supreme Court assessed the

workers 3x the amount of damages The S.C. invoked the Sherman Anti-Trust

Act of 1890 saying that ―conspiracy is restraint of trade

Fined workers – lost savings and homes

WILSON PROGRESSIVISM AT HIGH TIDE Federal Farm Loan Act,

1916 Credit to farmers at

low % rates

Warehouse Act 1916

Loans available (to farmers) based on security of staple (cash) crops

Highway construction & help to agricultural state colleges

La Follette Seamen’s Act,

1915 Required decent treatment A living wage unexpected result—

crippled US Merchant Marine with higher freight costs

Workingmen’s CompensationAct, 1916

Assistance given to disabled federal employees

WILSON PROGRESSIVISM AT HIGH TIDE Keating-Owen,

1916 Child labor Act

is passed but ruled unconstitutional in 1918 byHammer

v. Dagenhart Adamson Act,1916

8 hour work day for RR workers and overtime pay (interstate commerce)

Wilson Progressivism stopped short of better treatment for blacks Likely due to

his southern roots & prejudices

When a delegation ofblacks visited

him he froze them out of his office

CHILD LABOR IN WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINE

WILSON AND FOREIGN POLICY

He hated imperialism and Dollar Diplomacy

Government no longer offer special support to American investors in Latin America and China

Repealed the Panama Tolls Act 1912 (no tolls on US coast-wide shipping)

Philippines gains territorial status – promised self-rule

Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan persuades the California legislature to renege on a law that would not allow Japanese to own land –eases relations with Japan

WILSON AND FOREIGN POLICY

Haiti Revolution (1912-1915) Forces Wilson to send in troops

Marines– to protect US lives and property Stay 19 years

Dominican Republic (1916) Similar to Haiti—debt problems Marines stay 8 years

Virgin Islands (1917) Purchased from Denmark for $25 Million to stop

Germany

WILSON AND MEXICO

US investments =$1 Billion Revolutions

1913 Porfirio Diaz overthrown

General Victoriano Huerta inpower Wilson sent arms to

rivals Venustiano Carranza and Francisco Pancho Villa

William Randolph Hearst

Has a Rhode Island sized ranch in Mexico

Begs for US intervention but Wilson promotes human rights over property rights

Pancho Villa

WILSON AND MEXICO

Tampico, April 1914 – US sailors arrested Mexico releases them and

apologizes but Wilson demands a 21-gun salute

When Mexico will not grant this Wilson orders the Navy to take Vera Cruz

Mexican leaders, Huerta & Carranza protest ABC Powers intervene for the US

(Argentina, Brazil, Chile) Harms US-Mexican relations, and

then… General John "Blackjack" Pershing

Sent into Mexico Pursue ―Pancho Villa who has killed 16

US engineers in Mexico, and 19 in Columbus, New Mexico

No success: US had conflicts with Mexican troops &finally withdrew as conflict in Europe

threatens

The Brancho-Buster: President Wilson: “I wonder what I do next?”

.,

.. '

...... l.,..· )'·-

•.'

;

-• J

.,.. ....................

........-

- ......

.

-....._-...

......

...._

THE GREAT WAR

Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, in Sarajevo

Austria-Hungary allied with Germany, in essence, demands that Serbia become a possession of Austria-Hungary

Russia- the protector of the Slavic Nations, mobilizes to protect Serbia

Europe at war within weeks Wilson’s states that the US

position is neutral – trade with the Allies will pull the US out of a Recession and

Wilson is still hoping to keep the US outof war

THE GREAT WAR

Central Powers = Germany, Austria-Hungary, later, Turkey & Bulgaria

Allied Powers = France,England, Russia, later,

Italy& Japan German U-boat

warfare threatens US neutrality (we really were supporting the Allied Powers economically)

US NEUTRALITY

Slowly become more pro- Allies

Wilson is privately pro-British–as are most Americans

also pro-French Dislike for German

attack on neutral Belgium – Hoover fed Belgium with US support

Germans sinister and strange

– evil Heinous and militaristic

– Kaiser Wilhelm

US NEUTRALITY

Most Americans thought Germany caused the war

Propaganda-British controlled the information – transatlantic cable

US sold weapons to the Allies – commitment

German Sabotage – agent left briefcase with info about munitions plants on NY Subway – 1916 New Jersey munitions plant explodes – Germans suspected

LUSITANIA

US wants to be neutral but continues to ship to Allied Powers because England has control of the seas and a tight blockade around Germany

Germany then declares a submarine War Zone around Britain Feb. 1915

Wilson protests saying that Germany will be held to strict accountability for any attacks on US vessels or citizens

On May 7, 1915 the British passenger linger Lusitania is sunk, by a U-boat killing 1,198 (128 Americans)

This nearly leads to war

SUSSEX PLEDGE

Arabic sunk killing 2 Americans; French Ship the Sussex is sunk Wilson threatened to break diplomatic relations

with Germany- a prelude to war Germany offers the Sussex Pledge –

will not sink passenger and merchant vessels without giving warning IF the US will try to break the British Blockade

ELECTION OF 1916

Democrats: Wilson “ He kept us out of war" In the election, he sweepsthe Midwest and west Wins 277 to 254 EV

Republicans: Charles Evans Hughes NY –Supreme Court Justice

Attacks Wilson for not standing up to the Kaiser, in isolationist areas takes a softer line – flip-flops

Will win the Eastern States