Chapter 21: 21.2 Progressive Presidents

Woodrow Wilson's Reforms

1. Lowered the tariff on imported goods 2. Created the 16th amendment (Income Tax) 3. Created the Federal Reserve Bank

Anthracite Coal Strike

1902 United Mine Workers of America strike in eastern Pennsylvania which threatened to cause an energy crisis. The federal government intervened on the side of labor for the first time. T.R. threatened to draft the striking workers into the military and then send them back into the mines in order to ensure Americans wouldn't freeze to death.

Theodore Roosevelt

Considered to be the first Progressive President. He was an extremely popular president who pursued many reforms.

Square Deal

Economic policy by Roosevelt that favored fair relationships between the government, companies, and workers

Trustbuster

Nickname for Theodore Roosevelt who aggressively pursued 25 trusts he felt hurt the American people. He was selective in his pursuit and only went after Trusts he believed were harmful to the people.

Bull Moose Party

Nickname for the new Progressive Party, which was formed to support Roosevelt in the election of 1912. T.R. sought reelection in order to get revenge upon Taft for firing his friend Gifford Pinchot (U.S.F.S.) and changing his conservation policies.

Laissez-faire

Policy that government should interfere as little as possible in the nation's economy. During the Progressive Era, all three presidents went against this policy.

New Freedom

President Wilson's program to break up trusts and restore American economic competition

Election of 1912

Presidential campaign involving Taft, T. R, and Democrat, Woodrow Wilson. Taft and Roosevelt split the Republican vote, enabling Wilson to win easily.

William H. Taft

Second of the Progressive presidents. Taft was backed by the popular T.R. which paved the way to an easy victory. He really had no desire to run for the presidency. His passion was to be on the Supreme Court but his wife wanted to be the first lady so he reluctantly agreed. He hated the presidency and ballooned to over 350 lbs. He was famous for getting stuck in the White House bathtub.

Taft Failures

Taft was not popular like T.R. and had his own way of doing things. He aggressively pursued trusts and broke up more than T.R. He failed to fight for a lower tariff on imports. This left prices on imported goods higher than needed. He changed some of T.R.'s beloved conservation policies

US Forest Service (1905)

Teddy Roosevelt set aside 200 million acres of land for national forests, mineral reserves, and water projects. Yellowstown and Yosemite National Parks were created from this T.R. believed this would be his legacy and it was his most beloved project.

Arbitration

The process or act of resolving a dispute by having an impartial person decide the outcome.

Three progressive presidents (in order)

Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

Third Progressive President. He continued the Progressive tradition