Notes on Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt (1901–1912)

Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt (1901–1912)

The Progressive Movement

  • Theodore Roosevelt's Philosophy

    • "When I say I believe in a square deal I do not mean to give every man the best hand. … All I mean is that there shall be no crookedness in the dealing." (1905)

  • American Society in 1900

    • Nearly 76 million Americans; 1 in 7 foreign-born.

    • 13 million more immigrants anticipated by 1914.

    • A diverse populace engaged in a significant reform movement.

  • Progressives’ Goals

    • Combat monopoly, corruption, inefficiency, and social injustice.

    • Main battle cry: "Strengthen the State."

    • To utilize the government for human welfare.

Historical Roots of Progressivism

  • Previous Movements

    • Derived from the Greenback Labor party (1870s) and Populists (1890s).

    • Reaction against the concentration of wealth and power.

    • Call for increased government intervention to address complex social and economic issues.

  • Critiques and Societal Changes

    • Progressive theorists believed laissez-faire policies were insufficient for resolving societal issues.

Emerging Voices Against Corruption

  • Early Critics

    • Bryan, Altgeld, and the Populists attacked corporate greed.

    • Henry Demarest Lloyd's Wealth Against Commonwealth critiqued the Standard Oil Company.

    • Thorstein Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class argued against "predatory wealth" and "conspicuous consumption."

  • Social Commentary

    • Jacob A. Riis's How the Other Half Lives exposed urban poverty and conditions in New York slums.

    • Novelists like Theodore Dreiser denounced corporate malfeasance.

    • A rise in Socialist movements and religious progressivism aimed at social improvement.

The Muckrakers

  • Growth of Investigative Journalism

    • Beginning around 1902, magazines like McClure’s, Cosmopolitan, and Collier’s emerged as platforms for exposés.

    • President Roosevelt dubbed these journalists "muckrakers" (1906) for their intense focus on societal issues.

    • Lincoln Steffens's The Shame of the Cities revealed corruption in municipal governance.

    • Ida M. Tarbell's exposé of the Standard Oil Company focused on corporate corruption.

  • Key Exposés

    • David G. Phillips attacked the Senate's corruption in The Treason of the Senate.

    • John Spargo's The Bitter Cry of the Children highlighted child labor injustices.

Social Issues Addressed by Muckrakers

  • Child Labor and Health

    • Reports on child labor practices and unsafe working conditions spread public awareness.

    • Issues of industrial safety underscored by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (1911) leading to reform in labor laws.

  • Temptations of Alcohol and Prostitution

    • Connection between saloons and societal decay highlighted; led to temperance movements.

    • Early labor movements highlighted the plight of low-wage workers and their dangers.

Political Progressivism

  • Base of Support

    • Middle-class Americans feeling squeezed by economic uncertainties.

    • A broad coalition across regional and party lines.

  • Key Political Reforms

    • Push for direct primary elections, the initiative, referendum, and recall elections.

    • Increased transparency and accountability in governance.

  • Direct Election of Senators

    • Underlined by the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913.

Labor and Capital Relations Under Roosevelt

  • Labor Strike of 1902

    • Anthracite Coal Strike: miners demanded a 20% pay raise and a reduction in working hours.

    • Roosevelt’s intervention led to arbitration, marking the first federal involvement in labor disputes.

Innovations in Business Regulation

  • Regulatory Acts Introduced

    • Elkins Act (1903) targeting railroad rebates.

    • Hepburn Act (1906) strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Roosevelt as a Trustbuster

  • Recognition of Trusts

    • Roosevelt differentiated between "good" and "bad" trusts, seeking to regulate rather than dismantle.

    • Noteworthy suit against the Northern Securities Company, leading to its dissolution by Supreme Court ruling (1904).

Consumer Protection Measures

  • Food Safety Legislation

    • Upton Sinclair's The Jungle prompted the Meat Inspection Act (1906) and Pure Food and Drug Act (1906).

Conservation Initiatives

  • Natural Resource Legislation

    • Newlands Act (1902) for irrigation projects; conservation policies that reserved millions of acres of forests and resources.

Roosevelt's Political Legacy

  • Presidency’s Influence

    • Expanded the power and public perception of the presidency.

    • Inspired later progressive movements, shaping the New Deal.

Taft’s Presidency

  • William Howard Taft as Successor

    • Taft's administration continued Roosevelt's policies but was marked by political issues that split the Republican party.

    • Dollar diplomacy aimed at investing overseas to stabilize regions and protect U.S. interests.

    • Taft’s antitrust actions led to the dissolution of Standard Oil (1911).

    • Disputes with progressives peaked with the Ballinger-Pinchot affair, leading to a split within the party.

Key Events Timeline 1900-1913

  • Chronological Overview of Significant Events:

    • 1901: Galveston, Texas appoints expert commission for urban reform.

    • 1902: Anthracite coal strike; Newlands Act enacted.

    • 1906: Publication of The Jungle; Hepburn Act enforced.

    • 1908: Taft wins presidential election against Bryan.

    • 1911: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire spurs safety reforms; Standard Oil case concludes.

    • 1913: Seventeenth Amendment passed, Federal Reserve Act established.

  1. Underwood Tariff - A tariff enacted in 1913 that reduced tariff rates and imposed a graduated income tax as a means of addressing economic inequality.

  2. 16th Amendment - Ratified in 1913, this amendment allowed the federal government to impose an income tax.

  3. Federal Reserve Act (1913) - This act established the Federal Reserve System to regulate the banking industry and stabilize the economy.

  4. Federal Trade Commission Act - Enacted in 1914, it created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent unfair business practices and promote competition.

  5. Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) - This act strengthened antitrust laws to promote fair competition and protected unions from being prosecuted under antitrust laws.

  6. Holding Companies - Companies that own a controlling interest in other companies, typically used to manage interests in various subsidiaries.

  7. Central Powers - The alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I.

  8. Allies - The coalition of nations including the U.S., Britain, France, and Russia fighting against the Central Powers in World War I.

  9. U-Boats - German submarines used during World War I to disrupt Allied shipping.

  10. Lusitania - A British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, leading to increased tensions between the U.S. and Germany.

  11. Sussex Pledge - A promise made by Germany in 1916 not to sink merchant ships without warning after the sinking of the Sussex, a French ferry.

  12. Wilson’s Fourteen Points - President Woodrow Wilson's proposal for peace after WWI, advocating for self-determination and the establishment of a League of Nations.

  13. Committee on Public Information - An agency established to promote pro-war propaganda during World War I and influence public opinion.

  14. Espionage Act (1917) - Law that imposed severe penalties for activities deemed to undermine the U.S. war effort, including spying and dissemination of anti-war materials.

  15. Schenck v. United States (1919) - A Supreme Court case that upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that free speech could be limited when it posed a "clear and present danger."

  16. War Industries Board - A government agency established to coordinate the production of war materials during WWI.

  17. IWW or “Wobblies” - The Industrial Workers of the World, a radical labor union founded in 1905, advocating for worker control over industry.

  18. Great Migration - The movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers in the North and West during the 1910s and 1920s.

  19. 19th Amendment - Ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote in the United States.

  20. Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act - Passed in 1921, this act provided federal funds for maternity and child care.

  21. Conscription - The compulsory enlistment of individuals into military service, implemented in the U.S. during WWI.

  22. League of Nations - An international organization established after WWI to promote peace and cooperation among countries, proposed by Wilson in his Fourteen Points.

  23. Treaty of Versailles - The peace treaty that ended WWI, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.