1890-1920 POLITICS

1889 - 1893 President

Harrison

Republican

1893-1897 president

Cleveland

Democrat

1897-1901 president

McKinley

1901-1909 President

Theodore Roosevelt

Republican

1909-1913 President

Taft

Republican

1913 - 1921 President

Woodrow Wilson

Democrat

1891 Populism

William jennings bryan

Bimetallism: wanted the currency based off of silver rather than gold after 1860 discovery of $57m of silver in Nevada because that would benefit farmers more

Founded from large agricultural discontent due to continually falling wheat and cotton prices

41 members in congress from 1891-1902

adopted into the democrats party

Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1890

Government to buy 5.5 ounces of silver/ month and add it to production of coinage

1892 election

James Harrison (r) v Grover Cleveland (d) v People's party James Weaver (p)

Grover Cleveland Won

James B Weaver polled 1m votes

1896 election

McKinley (r) vs William Jennings Bryan (d&p)

Mark Hanna spent $3m supporting McKinley

William Jennings Bryan travelled 28,000km and gave 600 speeches.

McKinley won by 600,000 votes

Progressivism

The belief that direct government intervention at a state and federal level could bring about improvements in society.

Popular because 1893 recession left unemployment at 20% and there were incredibly poor working conditions with overcrowding and disease.

6 day, 72 hour working week.

1902: McClure's magazine revealed huge corruption in big businesses

Politically aimed to give women the vote (achieved in 1920), radical reform of town management and greater role for federal government.

Economically aimed for 8 hour work day (Ford 1913) and bank regulation.

Socially aimed for female emancipation (1890 National American Suffrage), prohibition (1893 Anti-Saloon League), state funded welfare benefits and reforms for African Americans who were seen as second class citizens.

McKinley Acts

1897 Dingley Tariff Act

1897-1900 Alaska Yukon Gold Rush

1900 Currency Act

Spanish-American War victories

1900 selected Roosevelt as his vice president

1897 Dingley Tariff

Highest protective tariff in US history

Increased the cost of living by 25% from 1897-1907

1897-1900 Alaska Yukon Gold Rush

100,000 migrated to Alaska in prospectus

Led to greater demand for rail travel

1900 Currency Act

Committed the US to the Gold Standard

Roosevelt Anti-Trust Acts

1902: proceedings against Northern Securities which was a railroad collection of Northern Pacific Railway; Great Northern Railway; Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad held by J.P. Morgan

1903: Department of Commerce given the power to collect data on any company that dealt with inter-state commerce

1904: Northern Securities ruled illegal by the Supreme Court and it was dissolved

44 anti-trust measures in total

1906 Hepburn Act: gave fed gov commission the power to inspect railroad bookies and establish a max freight rate they could charge

1902 Anthracite Coal Strike

Employers locked out miners that went on strike at Pennsylvania Coalfields.

Miners struck for higher wages, shorter (8 hour) workdays, and the recognition of their union. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to major American cities.

Roosevelt summoned both sides to Washington and made them agree on a settlement.

Employers settled for higher wages and a 9 hour work day.

Won Roosevelt massive support in the working class.

Roosevelt Conservation Acts

Ordered 150m acres of forest planted on federal reserves

1906 Meat Inspection Act

1906 Pure Food and Drink Act

1908 National Conservation Conference led to states creating environmental commissions

120m acres taken into public domain 1905-09

1906 Meat Inspection Act

It was made illegal to adulterate or mis-brand meat and meat products being sold as food.

Ensured that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under strictly regulated sanitary conditions.

1906 Pure Food and Drug Act

Prohibits the sale and transport of adulterated or mislabeled food, drinks and drugs.

Prohibits the mislabeling and misbranding of products.

Taft Progressive Acts

80 anti-trust measures

Introduced 8 hour day for government employees.

Gave power to Interstate Commission to set railroad rates.

16th Amendment Introduced federal Income Tax and corporation tax.

Brought in direct election of senators by americans rather than state legislators

16th Amendment (1913)

Enabled an income tax

Taft's presidency

17th Amendment (1913)

Direct election of senators by the people rather than state legislators

Taft Progressive Failure

Respected rights of congress and as a result did not do as much as Roosevelt.

Failed to handle the progressive-conservative divide.

Sided with conservatives on high tariffs

1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act

Raised certain tariffs even higher.

Split the republican party between the conservatives and the progressives.

1913 Department of Labour

Set up to regulate working conditions and wages for US workers

1913 Federal Reserve Act

12 banking districts

Washington Reserve Bank at the centre

1923: 70% of the nation's banks were on board

1914 Clayton Anti-Trust Act

1. Made price discrimination to foster monopolies, 'tying arrangements which forbid handling of rival products and interlocking directorates to control companies appearing in competition ILLEGAL

2. Gave more power to those enforcing the Sherman Anti Trust Act

1914 Federal Trade Commission

administered nearly 400 cease and desist orders for illegal activity and established federal regulation of corporations

Wilson Economic Acts

1913 Department of Labour: appointed William Wilson as secretary and settled disputes between workers and businessmen

1916 Federal Farm Loan Act: provided low interest loans to farmers

1913 Underwood Tariff

1913 Underwood Tariff

This tariff reduced average tariffs on imported goods to about half it was in the 1890s, & included a provision for an income tax, or a direct tax on earnings of individuals & corporations.

1913 Income Tax

Helped to redistribute tax

Only for those who earned over $4000 which was 4x the average wage

1916 Revenue Act

Expanded taxation to business profits

1916 Federal Child Labour Acts

Barred goods made by children from inter-state commerce but it was ruled unconstitutional in 1918

1916 Workmen's Compensation Act

Gave financial assistance to federal employees who were sick or injured

1916 Adamson Act

Established an 8 hour work day with overtime pay for railroad workers

1916 Farm Loan Act

provided farms with small loans

1917 Vocational Education Act

gave farmers an education and taught new farming methods

1912 Election

Wilson (d) won 6.3m votes, 42% of the vote

Taft (r) won 3.5m votes, 23% of the vote

Roosevelt (p) won 4.1m votes, 27% of the vote

18th Amendment (1919)

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote