Taft and Wilson

Who won the 1908 election and how?

William Howard Taft; chosen by Theodore Roosevelt as his successor

Explain Taft’s first term.

Traditional Republican; did not use the Bully Pulpit and defers to Congress; Congress eats away at Roosevelts changes and Taft does nothing to stop it, particularly in conservation and monopolies

Who ran in the 1912 election? Who Wins?

Roosevelt runs against Taft in the primary, with Roosevelt winning all as most Western and more “progressive” states have primary system; Taft chosen by party leaders for Republican nomination; Roosevelt runs under Bull Moose party, gaining progressive Republicans who become Democrats; Taft’s party looks more like modern (pre-2016) Republicans; Democrat Woodrow Wilson wins due to split Republican party

How was Wilson a dominant party leader?

Sees himself as a party leader, holding in person state of the union press conferences; maintained party loyalty, being able to get his party to line up behind him, using patronage, and not being progressive

How did Wilson feel about segregation?

Segregationist through and through; first Southerner since the Civil War; worsened military segregation

What were Wilson’s economic reforms?

• 16th Amendment (income tax), 1913

• 17th Amendment (direct election of senators), 1913

• Federal Reserve Act (established the federal reserve system), 1913

• Federal Trade Commission (trade regulation), 1914

• Clayton Antitrust Act (prevents the formation of monopolies), 1914

What were Wilson’s social reforms?

• 18th Amendment (prohibition), 1919

• 19th Amendment (women’s suffrage), 1919

  • More reluctant/less enthusiastic about progressive social reforms

What was Wilson’s foreign policy with Mexico?

Plan to “teach the South American and Mexican republics to elect good men” and teach the world to be more like progressive Wilsonians; intervenes in Mexicos period of “civil wars”, sending army into Mexico after Pancho Villa invades Texas; Wilson determining the morals for the rest of the world

How did Wilson win reelection in 1916?

Ran on campaign that “He kept us out of war”; US enters to war in April 1917

What was the Zimmerman telegram?

Message from Germany sent to Mexico to discuss a potential alliance against the US; intercepted and decoded by British intelligence and shared with the US

What was the Lever Act?

Gave the president unprecedented economic control; put US onto a war footing led from the White House

What was created under the Lever Act?

• War Industries Board (WIB), Bernard Baruch

• War Finance Corporation

• Food Administration, Herbert Hoover

  • Troops being send overseas must be sent with everything they need

  • In charge of feeding troops and citizens

What was apart of Wilson’s “repression”?

• Committee on Public Information (CPI)

• Espionage Act, 1917

• Sedition Act, 1918

What was the Committee on Public Information?

Focused on anti-German propaganda; ex. renaming Sauerkraut as Liberty cabbage, german shepards as liberty pups, etc.

What was the Espionage Act, 1917?

Criminalized acts related to espionage; 20 years in prison and/or $10,000 for aiding the enemy

What was the Sedition Act, 1918?

• Bans anti-war speeches

• Saw 1500 arrests

• Led to the jailing of Eugene Debs, socialist leader

  • 1 million votes for president in 1912

  • originally in favor of the war, but changes his mind post USSR creation

What were wilson’s 14 Points?

Wants to solve all of the worlds problems; 14 things he wants everyone to agree on (in his defense Europe needed saving); No more entagling alliences, move territories on the map, freedom of the seas, etc.; League of nations. felt everything but the league was negotioable

What was the purpose of the League of Nations?

Negotiations as the British and French had different post-war priorities; idea that diplomacy will fix everything; every nation in the future will just talk it out, no physical conflict; once again, Wilson telling everyone how to live their lives according to him

Did the US join the League of Nations? Why or Why Not?

Senate must approve treaty to join the League, but unhappy with everything Wilson is doing (stroke and Edith); Movement away from interventionist policies; League is shot down despite Wilson sacrificing hundreds of thousands of people, half his 14 points, his party, and his health; US never joins

What were the 1918 midterms like?

Americans voting strongly republican; Wilson’s campaign associates partisanship with patriotism, alienating republicans who supported the war and democrats who didn’t