Download Progressivism on the National Stage

Progressivism on the National Stage
Progressives believed that many changes needed to occur at the national level and that the government was
denying the promise of liberty and opportunity for all. From 1901 to 1921 three Presidents worked to
advance progressive reforms and change Americans' view of the government.
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909
Background Information
Reform
Square Deal
Sherman Antitrust Act
Meat Inspection Act
Pure Food and Drug Act
Explanation
What problem did it
address?
Reform program that focused on
regulating big business and protecting
workers and consumers.
Monopolies, working conditions,
unsafe products.
1890, ineffective until Roosevelt used it
to regulate and break up big businesses.
Monopolies
1906, set strict cleanliness
requirements and created a federal
meat inspection program.
Unsafe products, working
conditions (cleanliness)
1906, established the Food and Drug
Administration to inspect products
before sold to the public.
Unsafe products
Interstate Commerce
Commission
Conservation
1887, ineffective until Roosevelt gave
more power to the commission to
regulate the railroad industry.
Monopolies
Made a primary concern, some
wilderness areas were protected and
others developed for the common good.
Environment-landscape, natural
resources
William Howard Taft, 1909-1913
Background Information
Reform
Payne-Aldrich Tariff
Children's Bureau
Explanation
What problem did it
address?
Raised the amount of tax placed on
Monopolies-did not solve but made
imported goods, causing big businesses worse
to make more money.
Created within the Department of
Labor, investigate and report on the
safety and health of children.
Working conditions/child labor
8 Hour Work Day
National Wildlife Refuge
System
16th Amendment - Federal
Income Tax
All government employees were limited
to 8 hour work days (Wilson would
extend the same to railroad workers)
Working conditions
Originally set up by Roosevelt, Taft
added 2.7 million acres of protected
lands to the list.
Environment-landscape/natural
resources
Created during Taft’s presidency,
ratified during Wilson’s presidency,
required wealthier people to pay higher
taxes than poorer people.
Social class gap
Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921
Background Information
Reform
Explanation
Election of 1912
Taft and Roosevelt split the Republican
vote, Wilson won the election on the
Democratic ticket.
What problem did it
address?
Prevented Taft from reelection,
established a Progressive
President.
New Freedom
Clayton Antitrust Act
Keating-Owen Child Labor
Act
National Park Service
Federal Reserve System
17th Amendment - Direct
Election of Senators
18th Amendment Prohibition
19th Amendment Women's Right to Vote
Wilson’s reform program that called for
transferring power from big businesses
to citizens, reduce corruption.
Politics
1914, did not allow big businesses to
own stock in another business, made
unions and strikes legal.
Monopolies, working conditions
1916, banned companies from hiring
children under the age of 14.
Child labor/working conditions
1916, manage all national parks for
preservation and public use.
Environment-landscape, natural
resources
Central banking authority that
manages the money for the country
which strengthened banks.
Politics-national financial reform
1913, required the direct election of
senators by popular vote, average
citizens voted for their representatives.
Politics-corruption of senators
1919, declared that the manufacture,
sale, or transportation of alcoholic
beverages illegal starting in 1920.
Social-family life
1920, gave women the right to vote in
all state and national elections.
Society-women’s rights