Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal

1. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Theodore Roosevelt Nobel prize winner, physical culturalist, naval historian, essayist, biographer, paleontol- igist, taxidermist, ornith- ologist, field naturalist, conservationist, big game hunter, editor, critic, rancher, orator, colonel of cavalry. . .

2. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal He brought to the office of President a broad conception of its powers and invested the presidency with something of its modern status, as the center of national political life A conservative, but also a reformer

3. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Roosevelt: Born into wealth Frail as child (asthma) Drove himself physically and intellectually

4. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Roosevelt: Served in New York State Assembly and displayed an energy seldom seen in “that lethargic body.” After wife’s and mother’s death on the same day, he became a rancher in the Dakota Badlands

5. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Roosevelt: Became the police Commissioner of New York City—a “flamboyant battler against crime and vice” Vigorously campaigned for the election of William McKinley

6. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal . . . made outstanding war plans including the plan that Admiral Dewey used in routing the Spanish fleet in the Philippines in the early days of the Spanish American War Then left that position to serve as an officer in the Army volunteers

7. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Elected Governor of New York in 1900 New York Republican political machines found too difficult to control “Boss” Platt hatched a scheme to “kick upstairs” Nominated as vice presidential candidate for William McKinley’s second term

8. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal President McKinley. . . . . .assassinated 6 months into his second term At age 42, Roosevelt becomes the 26th President of the United States Youngest president (John F. Kennedy was youngest person elected president)

9. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal As president: Boxed with professionals (blinded in one eye) Galloped 100 miles on horseback to show it could be done Spared a bear cub on a hunting trip; toy company therefore named the teddy bear after him

10. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Roosevelt’s leadership and publicity campaigns helped create the modern presidency, making him a model by which all future presidents would be measured

11. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Used dynamic personality and popularity to advance his programs National welfare: felt government should control whenever states proved incapable of dealing with problems—not a traditional Republican view—but change should be cautious and moderate

12. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Policy of the square deal: if big business victimized workers, he would see to it that common people were helped His study of history convinced him that U. S. required a strong Federal govt. that was the mediator of the public good with president at the center

13. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Heart of his policy: desire to win for federal government the power to investigate the activities of corporations and publicize the results He believed pressure of educated public opinion would alone eliminate most corporate abuses and gov. should legislate solutions to remaining problems

14. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Trust-busting Did not believe all trusts were harmful Sought to curb trusts when their actions hurt public trust Belief: only big business could ensure national greatness

15. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Trust-busting Roosevelt Administration filed 44 antitrust suits Won many, broke up some trusts, but did not slow merger movement Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission and found success trying to regulate railroads

16. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal 1902 Coal Strike: 140,000 PA miners struck and demanded 20% raise & 9-hour day Management refused to even meet with the strikers Roosevelt solved by calling both sides to talk at the White House—and threatened Federal take-over of mines

17. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal 1902 Coal Strike: Both sides finally agreed to submit differences to an arbitration commission as a mediator 1903—commission settlement: 10% pay raise; 9 hour workday no closed shop (closed shop means all workers must belong to the union)

18. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal 1902 Coal Strike: Roosevelt’s actions set new principles: • Federal government expected to • intervene when a strike threatened • the public welfare • Disputes can be settled in an orderly • way with the help of experts

19. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Regulating Railroads Elkins Act of 1903—rebates (special discounts) to shippers illegal Hepburn Act of 1906—strictly limited free railroad passes (form of bribery) Also gave ICC power to set maximum shipping rates, subject to court approval

20. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Public Health Laws 1906: Pure Food and Drug Act, halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling. Progressive belief: if given accurate information, people would act wisely.

21. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal After reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair , Roosevelt appointed a commission to investigate meat packing industry Roosevelt pushed for the Meat Inspection Act of 1906

22. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Public Health Laws Meat Inspection Act— dictated strict cleanli- ness requirements for meatpackers and began program of Federal meat inspection Meat Act & Hepburn Act: progressive principle of government regulation.

23. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Conservation First president to pay attention to natural resources Said forest and water problems were vital national concerns Attacked environmental problems with great zeal; banned Christmas Tree at White House in 1902

24. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Conservation Naturalist John Muir. . . . . . persuaded Roosevelt to set aside 148 million acres of forest reserves, during a Yosemite NP camping trip in 1903 Roosevelt also set aside 1.5 million acres for water power sites and 80 million acres for U. S. Geological Survey to explore for minerals

25. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Conservation 1905: Roosevelt named professional conservationist Gifford Pinchot the head of the U. S. Forest Service Pinchot persuaded Roosevelt to keep large tracts of federal land exempt from private sale to conserve forest and grazing lands Roosevelt also funded large-scale irrigation projects and dams in West

26. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal The Panic of 1907 U. S. industrial production had outrun the capacity of either domestic or foreign markets to absorb it (producing too much) Once again, banking system and stock market—pathetic inadequacies Irresponsible speculation and rampant financial mismanagement

27. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal The Panic of 1907 Roosevelt reassured business leaders that he would not interfere with recovery efforts J. P. Morgan helped construct a pool of assets of several important New York banks to prop up shaky financial institutions The panic subsided

28. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Like many progressives, Roosevelt’s reforms did not include civil rights for African Americans He did, however, support a few individual Blacks Hosted Booker T. Washington at the White House for dinner & appointed some Blacks to federal jobs

29. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal W. E. B. Du Bois & others upset by Roosevelt’s indifference to civil rights In 1909, several African Americans and some White reformers met in New York and founded the National Association for The Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

30. William Howard Taft When Roosevelt won re-election in 1904, he pledged not to run for another term in 1908.

31. William Howard Taft Personally selected his own successor: Secretary of War, William H. Taft Democrats ran, for the third time, William Jennings Bryan

32. William Howard Taft In Roosevelt’s shadow: “When I am addressed as ‘Mr. President,’ I turn around to see whether (Roosevelt is) not at my elbow.” As president, he pursued a cautious agenda

33. William Howard Taft Taft broke up 90 trusts in 4 years; Roosevelt broke up 44 in 7 ½ yrs. Campaigned on a platform of lowering tariffs House passed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff; but Senate conservative Republicans eliminated most cuts. Taft signed anyway, angering progressive Republicans.

34. William Howard Taft Conservation Taft angered conservationists by appointing Richard A. Ballinger as Secretary of the Interior Seattle lawyer who disapproved of conservationist control of western lands Removed 1 million acres of forest and mining lands from reserved list and approved for sale to developers

35. William Howard Taft Conservation After Gifford Pinchot had an argument with Ballinger, Taft fired Pinchot as head of U. S. Forest Service—further angering conservationists. Taft’s actions seemed to favor big business interests over those of conservationists and the land.

36. William Howard Taft Taft’s cautious nature made it impossible for him to hold the two wings of the GOP (Grand Old Party) together. Progressives (change) Conservatives (no change) GOP began to tear apart

37. The Election of 1912 1910, Roosevelt returned from a hunting safari in Africa and said that the Republican Party needed new leadership. 1912, Roosevelt decided to challenge the incumbent Taft, his old friend, for the Republican nomination

38. The Election of 1912 Roosevelt’s policies as he re-entered politics • Graduated income tax • Graduated inheritance tax • Worker’s compensation for industrial accidents • Regulation of the labor of women and children • Tariff revision • Firmer regulation of corporations

39. The Election of 1912 The result of the rift in the Republican Party and Taft’s inability to repair it was the loss of the House of Representatives to the Democrats in 1910—first Democratic control in 18 years. Mid-term elections Similar to stunning Democratic loss in 1994 mid-term elections

40. The Election of 1912 1911, Roosevelt begins to aspire to another run for President 1911 Anti-trust decision by Taft Administration October 1911 suit against U. S. Steel challenging policies personally approved by Roosevelt Reluctant to run because LaFollette had been working for nomination

41. The Election of 1912 1911, Roosevelt begins to aspire to another run for President February, 1912: LaFollette suffers a nervous breakdown LaFollette’s supporters turned to Roosevelt Roosevelt declared candidacy

42. The Election of 1912 Roosevelt wins overwhelming victories over Taft in 13 primary elections June 1912: Taft supporters (party bosses) will not seat Roosevelt supporters; Taft nominated on first ballot Roosevelt’s supporters form a new, third party: the Progressive Party Nominate Roosevelt for President

43. The Election of 1912 Bull Moose platform: • Direct election of senators • Initiative, referendum & recall • in all states • Women’s suffrage • National workmen’s compensation • Eight-hour workday • Minimum wage for women • Federal law against child labor

44. The Election of 1912 Democrats nominated Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey Campaigned for “New Freedom” Taft and Roosevelt turned to calling each other names while Wilson stayed above it all

45. The Election of 1912 Fourth candidate: Socialist Eugene V. Debs Results similar to those of 1992

46. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom Thomas Woodrow Wilson • Originally from the South • Grandson, son, nephew of • Presbyterian ministers • Strict moral upbringing • Graduate of College of • New Jersey (now Princeton Univ.) • Returned to Princeton as a political • science professor • Named Princeton president 1902— • national praise for campus reforms

47. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom New Jersey political machine tapped Wilson to run for governor in 1910 Elected, but declared himself independent of machine afterward Progressive programs as governor: Direct primary Workmen’s Compensation Regulation of public utilities and railroads

48. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom Elected president in 1912—moved to enact laws based on his program of “New Freedom” Attack on the triple wall of privilege: Trusts, Tariffs, High Finance

49. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom View of role of the government different from that of Roosevelt. Instead of regulating trusts, government should break them up. Government should not get larger; business should shrink Main focus: attack large concentrations of power to give more freedom to average citizens.

50. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom Concentrated powers of Executive branch in his own hands Delegated real authority only to those whom he considered loyal beyond question Most powerful figure in his administration: Colonel Edward M. House Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress