THEODORE ROOSEVELT, TAFT, AND WOODROW WILSON NOTES

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AS PRESIDENT

·         Became President upon the death of President William McKinley who had been shot by an assassin while attending the Pan-American Exposition on September 6, 1901.  McKinley died eight days later.   Roosevelt was the youngest president to that time.  The Republican Party leaders never intended T.R. to be President, but now they have to contend with him.

·         Until his election in his own right in 1904, T.R. will largely continue the policies of President McKinley, however, T.R. was a Progressive president and will have the support of the progressives.  He strongly support labor and wanted labor, the owners, and the public to have what he called a “SQUARE DEAL.”  This becomes the term/slogan to describe his presidency. 

·         He began to show his support for labor in 1902 when a strike broke out at the anthracite coal mines in Pennsylvania.  The workers were demanding much needed changes for their safety, a pay increase, and a reduction in work hours.  The mine owners would not give in to the demands.  Roosevelt brought the mine owners to the White House and will threaten to take over the mines and run them using the army.  THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD THREATENED TO USE FEDERAL TROOPS AGAINST OWNERS; in the past they had been used against the workers.  The mine owners will agree to a 10% pay raise and a 9-hour workday for the workers. 

·         In 1903, at Roosevelt’s insistence, the Department of Commerce and Labor was created by Congress.

·         Roosevelt will begin to go after the monopolies/trusts also.  This was not something that McKinley would have done.  This will begin his “trust-busting” reputation.  He will go after the RAILROADS first by getting congress to pass long needed regulations. 

o       Elkins Act passed in 1903.  It would place heavy fines on a railroad that gave rebates and would fine those who accepted the rebates. 

o       Hepburn Acts passed in 1906.  It makes it illegal for the railroads to offer free passes as a means of bribing.  It also will strengthen the Interstate Commerce Act.

o       One of his earliest trust-busting actions was against the NORTHERN SECURITIES COMPANY, created by J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill.  This gave them control of the railroads in the Northwest. 

§         Roosevelt brought an anti-trust suit against the company.

§         The Supreme Court upheld his suit and the company was dissolved.

§         This completely surprised owners and angered them as well.

·         You need to understand that Roosevelt did not see all trust as bad.  To him, there were “good” and “bad” trusts.  He did not believe that all trusts should be broken up.  It is said that he believed that if there were big businesses then the government should be big enough to control them.  His primary belief was in REGULATING them rather than BREAKING THEM apart. 

·         Roosevelt will bring over 40 suits against trusts, but it is said that by one historian, “In many ways, the huge industrial behemoths were healthier—though perhaps more “tame”—at the end of Roosevelt’s reign than they had been before.” (Bailey & Kennedy, The American Pageant, 9^th ed., 1991, page 677). 

·         Meat Inspection Act passed by Congress in 1906; Pure Food and Drug Act passed in 1906:  these are intended to protect the consumer

·         CONSERVATION was a big interest of Roosevelt.  Some believe that it might be his most lasting legacy.

·         Presidential Election of 1904:  Roosevelt elected easily(Republican).  He announced that he would not run for re-election in 1908. 

·         Roosevelt continued his crusade to regulate big business and to support labor.

·         Is blamed by his opponents for the Panic of 1907; they blamed his government interference in business as the cause; of course, Roosevelt blames some of the big businesses for the Panic.   Congress will pass the ALDRICH-VREELAND ACT in 1908 (Google it.).  It will give national banks the freedom to issue emergency funds.  This will be a pre-cursor to the Federal Reserve Act which will be passed in 1913 during Wilson’s presidency and is still “on the books” today. 

AN ADDITIONAL POINT ABOUT THE PANAMA CANAL (In addition to your in-class notes)

·         The recognition of the need for quick movement of naval forces from the Pacific to the Atlantic had been the realized during the Spanish-American War.  Therefore, efforts to build an isthmian canal had increased. 

·         In the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901, Great Britain gave the U.S. the “OK” to build a canal and fortify it without British partnership.

·         In 1902, Congress finally gave approval to a Panamanian route rather than a Nicaraguan route.

·         Panama was a part of the country of Colombia at this time. 

·         Treaty negotiations were opened with Colombia and Colombia rejected the U.S. offer.

·         President Roosevelt wants the canal to be built; he will support helping Panamanian rebels overthrow their Colombian rulers in 1903 by using the U.S. Navy to prevent the Colombians from interfering, and Roosevelt immediately recognizes the new Panamanian government.

·         The HAY-BUNAU-VARILLA TREATY was negotiated.  The U.S. paid the French company that owned the rights to build a canal in Panama $40 million and Panama gave the U.S. a 10-mile wide zone to have as long as they wanted it, and the U.S. paid Panama $10 million and $250,000 per year.

·         Roosevelt’s support of the revolution did not improve the reputation of the U.S. in Central and South America and will result in further accusations of the U.S. IMPERIALISM.  Roosevelt’s actions did help his POPULARITY at home as the 1904 Election approaches. 

·         Work on the canal started in 1904.

o       Colonel George Goethals was in charge of building the canal.

o       Colonel William Gorgas was in charge of eradicating the mosquitoes that caused Yellow Fever. 

o       Canal completed in 1914; cost was $400 million

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1908

·         Keeping his promise, T.R. will not run for President.

·         Republicans nominate WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.  He was T.R.’s personal choice for the nomination.  He was 6 feet tall and weighed 350 pounds. 

·         Democrats nominate William Jennings Bryan. 

·         TAFT WON EASILY.

TAFT’S PRESIDENCY

·         He was by no means a Theodore Roosevelt.

·         Roosevelt has left the country to go to Africa on a hunting safari.

·         Was not as strong a progressive as Roosevelt.

·         His approach to foreign relations was to use DOLLAR DIPLOMACY rather than the BIG STICK  policy of T.R.

·         He will be a greater “trust-buster” than TR.

·         Eventually, he will LOSE THE SUPPORT OF ROOSEVELT because of some of his policies and actions.

·         He will also LOSE THE SUPPORT OF THE PROGRESSIVES for the same reasons.

·         PROGRESSIVES and ROOSEVELT turn against Taft largely over the following:

o       Taft’s support for the PAYNE-ALDRICH BILL which did not reduce tariffs as Taft had promised and even raised tariffs on many products.

o       Taft’s support of Secretary of the Interior Ballinger’s opening up of lands in several western states for development by companies.  GIFFORD PINCHOT, head of the Department of Forestry strongly criticized this and Taft FIRED Pinchot.  Pinchot had been appointed by Roosevelt.  Conservationists strongly opposed Ballinger’s and Taft’s decisions.  This will also anger Roosevelt.

o       Taft’s support of Speaker of the House, Joe Cannon who was continuously blocking Progressive efforts in the House of Representatives.  This will be what finally results in a SPLIT WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY and ROOSEVELTS’ SPLIT WITH TAFT. 

·         Roosevelt, upon his return to the states in 1910 began to speak out against Taft and his policies.  He let it be known that he believed the national government’s power should be increased to solve the problems the nation was facing.  This will be known as NEW NATIONALISM. 

·         Then, in 1911, Roosevelt split even further with Taft when Taft pursued a suit against the UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION.  Roosevelt had supported the creation of this trust when President. 

·         Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives in the 1910 mid-term elections and only slightly keep control of the Senate.  THE PARTY IS SPLIT.

·         This brings us to the Presidential ELECTION OF 1912.

 

ELECTION OF 1912

 

·        Democrats nominate WOODROW WILSON.  He was a strong progressive, had been president of Princeton University and prior to this nomination, Governor of New Jersey.  The Democratic platform will be based on reform.   His program will be  known as NEW FREEDOM. (Google this.)

·        Republican Party will refuse to nominate Roosevelt who had sought the party’s nomination.  They will nominate WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT and Roosevelt and his supporters leave the Republican convention very angry.

·        Progressive Party will nominate THEODORE ROOSEVELT, splitting the Republican ticket.  It will also be referred to as the Bull Moose Party due to a comment by TR that he was strong as a Bull Moose.  His program will be called NEW NATIONALISM. (Google this.)

·        The Socialist Party will nominate Eugene V. Debs.  Just a note, he had been the socialist nominee in the two previous presidential elections.  He had been the leader of the American Railway Union during the Pullman Strike of 1894.  Debs and his members had refused to stop striking after the courts had issued an INJUNCTION for them to do so.  Debs was jailed for 6 months and following this be joined the Socialist Party.

·        WILSON WON overwhelmingly in the electoral vote but did not receive a majority of the popular vote.  He will be what is known as a MINORITY PRESIDENT since he does not receive a majority of the popular vote.  Roosevelt was second.  He will be ONLY THE SECOND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT SINCE Zachary Taylor before the Civil War. (GOOGLE THIS ELECTION).

 

WOODROW WILSON’S PRESIDENCY

 

·         Terms describing Wilson:  idealist, very religious (Presbyterian), uncompromising, an intellectual, did not like journalists, stubborn.  He had a great ability to appeal to the people, especially when he was facing opposition to his program, and the people would hold their elected congressmen accountable. 

·         As part of his New Freedom, he will move to reduce the tariff, reform the banking system, and attack the trusts/monopolies.

·         Major legislation during his first term:

o       Underwood Tariff, 1913:  Wilson will actually go before Congress to present what he wanted.  This had not been done since before Thomas Jefferson.  (GOOGLE THE UNDERWOOD TARIFF).

o       Federal Reserve Act, 1913:  Created the Federal Reserve Board and established 12 Federal Reserve districts with a Federal Reserve Bank in each district.  It also authorized the Federal Reserve Board to issue paper money.  This allows for the amount of money in circulation to be increased if necessary.  This was a MAJOR piece of banking legislation for the nation and was greatly needed. 

o       Federal Trade Commission Act, 1914:  Allowed a commission to investigate for business practices that were harmful to the public and practices that were monopolistic.

o       Clayton Anti-Trust Act, 1914:  listed wrongful business practices; will also prevent labor unions and agricultural organizations from being prosecuted using antitrust laws and will legalize strikes.    Was called the “Magna Carta of Labor” by Samuel Gompers. 

o       Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1916:  allows federal financial assistance  to federal civil service workers if they experienced a disability while working. 

o       Other legislation was passed by Congress to help railroad workers with an 8-hour work day if the train was involved in interstate commerce.

o       Federal Farm Loan Act, 1916:  farmers could receive credit at low interest rates.

·         Wilson’s progressivism did NOT improve the condition of blacks.