Notes on Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt

Progressive Roots

  • Shift from laissez-faire philosophy to active government involvement.
  • Criticism of corporate corruption by figures like:
    • Henry Demarest Lloyd: Wealth Against Commonwealth (1894).
    • Thorstein Veblen: The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) critiqued waste by the wealthy.
    • Jacob A. Riis: How the Other Half Lives (1890) exposed poverty in NYC.
  • Social gospel movement aimed at social justice for the urban poor.

Raking Muck with the Muckrakers

  • Investigative journalists (muckrakers) exposed corruption in big business and government.
  • Notable muckrakers:
    • Lincoln Steffens: corruption in municipal government.
    • Ida Tarbell: exposed Standard Oil Company.
  • Their work aimed to cleanse capitalism rather than overthrow it.

Political Progressivism

  • Progressive coalition included militarists and pacifists, labor unionists, and reform-minded businessmen.
  • Aimed to modernize institutions to curb monopolies and improve life for common people.
  • Direct democracy initiatives:
    • Direct primaries, initiatives, referendums, and recalls introduced.
    • Seventeenth Amendment (1913) established direct election of senators.

Progressivism in Cities and States

  • Local reforms included:
    • Expert staff in urban governance (e.g., Galveston, TX).
    • Regulation of utilities and public ownership began to rise.
    • Wisconsin’s Governor Robert La Follette led significant regulatory reforms.

Progressive Women

  • Women played pivotal roles in reform, notably in the settlement house movement.
  • Organizations like the WCTU took a stand against alcohol and advocated for social reforms.
  • Key legal victories:
    • Muller v. Oregon (1908) established laws protecting women workers.

TR's Square Deal for Labor

  • Theodore Roosevelt emphasized fairness for labor and capital in his policies (the "Three C's").
  • First test during the Anthracite coal strike (1902): Roosevelt mediated between workers and owners.
  • Department of Commerce and Labor created to regulate business practices.

TR Corrals the Corporations

  • Major legislative acts:
    • Elkins Act (1903) and Hepburn Act (1906) targeted railroad practices.
  • TR distinguished between "good" and "bad" trusts.
  • Initiated significant antitrust actions, bolstering the government's role over business.

Caring for the Consumer

  • Public health reforms led by Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906).
  • Passed the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) for consumer safety.

Earth Control

  • Conservation initiatives:
    • Desert Land Act, Forest Reserve Act enabled preservation of natural resources.
    • Newlands Act funded irrigation projects.
  • Establishment of several conservation organizations, reflecting a shift in environmental policy.

The “Roosevelt Panic” of 1907

  • Economic downturn led to blame directed at Roosevelt, prompting monetary reforms.

The Bull Moose Campaign of 1912

  • Split in the Republican Party between Taft and Roosevelt.
  • Roosevelt ran as a third-party candidate, promoting New Nationalism against Wilson’s New Freedom.
  • Election of 1912 resulted in Wilson's victory, illustrating a pivotal moment in American political history.