...Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson all had great diverse ideas of ways to developing an effective reform for our nation; they all were commonly excellent leaders who embodied the prosperity and growth of our country. Each of the progressive presidents starting with Theodore Roosevelt and ending with Woodrow Wilson build off of each other’s ideas and mistakes, all with the one goal in mind of making the United States its best for the people and the future generations/businesses. Theodore Roosevelt, a republican, also the 26th president of the United States, began the progressive party rolling by making serious changes to issues dealing with the amount of control of corporations, the conservation of natural recourses as well as the consumers overall protection. Roosevelt was progressive in that he introduced laws that regulated the workplace and provided an amount of social welfare. He established numerous of antitrust such as the Sherman antitrust act, as well as many acts like the federal meat inspection act, which forced...
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...These two presidents continued the legacy of Roosevelt (to an extent) by continuing to regulate American Industry. The Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 gave the Interstate Commerce Commission more power to set Railroad rates, similarly to what Roosevelt did. Taft actually busted more trusts than Roosevelt did, and he busted 99 trusts, including the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and the American Tobacco Company. However, he eventually drew criticism from even Roosevelt, since Taft tried to bust all trusts, while Roosevelt believed in distinguishing between good trusts and bad trusts. Woodrow Wilson’s presidency followed Taft, and Wilson focused largely on tariff rates. He did this through the Underwood-Simmons Act, which was very effective in drastically reducing tariff rates. Wilson argued that high tariff rates hurt consumers and contributed to the formation of monopolies. Wilson was also a strong supporter of the Clayton Antitrust Act, which prohibited price-fixing and interlocking directorates. In the same year, the Federal Trade Commission was passed, which regulated corrupt business practices. He also passed the Adamson Act, guaranteeing an eight hour workday to railroad workers. He attempted to pass an act prohibiting child labor, but it was ruled unconstitutional by Congress. Wilson tried to support the Progressive platform...
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...Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt or Teddy Roosevelt was the 25th Vice President and 26th President of the United States. He is known as the conservationist president because of his accomplishments in protecting wildlife. He won both the Nobel Peace Prize, as the first president to do so, and also the Medal of Honor. Teddy Roosevelt was born to Theodore Roosevelt Sr. and Martha Bulloch on October 27, 1858 in New York, New York. Though Theodore has asthma and many ailments he lived a pretty active life. He attended both Harvard and Columbia University Law School. After graduating from Harvard he married Alice Hathaway Lee who later died on the same day as his mother in 1884. After tragedy has struck, Teddy moved to his ranch locating...
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...than everyone else; so much so that they are the only ones that can effectively provide it. When this occurs, competing businesses and giant government entities will stop at nothing to shut it down. The Sherman Antitrust Act, the Clayton Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act make up the current US antitrust laws. The antitrust laws are supposed to promote and protect competition. The philosophy behind the laws is that trusts and monopolies will stagnate markets and prevent others from engaging in healthy market competition. A monopoly is defined as a situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. (Investorwords, 2010) Antitrust law legislation started with the Sherman Act that was passed in 1890. The intent of the law was put in place to challenge the unchecked growth of corporations. By 1888, large corporations gained enough market muscle to dominate entire industries. The Sherman Act outlaws all contracts, combinations, and conspiracies that unreasonably restrain interstate trade. This includes agreements among competitors to fix prices, rig bids and allocate consumers. The Act also makes it a crime to monopolize any part of interstate commerce. Criminal prosecution will be filed if the Sherman act is violated. If found guilty, the violator can be fined up to $1 million and sentenced up to 10 years in federal...
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...crisis, but, the national political leaders such as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who intense to the social and political changes in America, have successfully raised a betterment for the United States, especially in the period of Progressive movement (1890-1920). Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were the national political leader that regarded as the Progressive president since they introduced dramatic political reforms in the United States. They establish several legislations that considered made the condition of America during the progressive era become better; more organized government, the new banking system, more control over the big business and monopolies, development of modern presidency, were some example of the progressive actions during the presidency era of Roosevelt' and Wilson'. Particularly, T.R. elevated the importance of his presidency by understanding the importance of the press corps and promote his own image as well as to promote the press of the policies in his presidency (Bauer 8). Meanwhile, Wilson enacted the progressivism by reducing the prohibitive tariffs, creating a major transformation of the banking system, and generating new stronger of trust in order to re-establish fair economic competition in the United States (Bauer 9). It just some examples of the significant actions they had established, in the following, will be discussed the other progressive actions as well as the Roosevelt' and Wilson' presidency during the progressive era...
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...The Spanish-American War changed America’s view of expansion. It was a brief and intense war between America and Spain that lasted only from April until July of 1898. The war was not started by one thing in particular. Many events happened preceding the war. It all began with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894, which put restrictions on sugar imports to the United States. This hurt Cuba’s economy since it was based on producing and selling their sugar. At the time, Cuba was a Spanish colony. Angry citizens known as “insurrectos” began revolting. Spain then sent General Weyler to stabilize the situation in Cuba and put a lot of people in concentration camps. The United States became concerned having many businessmen with investment interests in Cuba. The American public was stirred into an anti-Spain frenzy by the yellow journalism of men like Hearst and Pulitzer. President Grover Cleveland did not declare war. Not long after President McKinley came into office, he was criticizing Spain’s “uncivilized and inhuman” conduct. By this time, Weyler had left Cuba. McKinley sent the USS Maine on a “friendly” mission to Cuba. The ship was to wait, ready to rescue any U.S. citizens endangered by the conflict in Cuba. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine mysteriously blew up, killing 266 sailors and sinking the ship. McKinley gave the OK for war and by April, both the US and Spain had declared war. The Spanish-American War was called “a splendid little war” because the war...
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...Don’t be confused though, because leaders are created not born. Theodore Roosevelt lived a life of self creation and he will be remembered his service to his people and his outstanding leadership. His actions throughout his life have sculpted his status as one of the best leaders in American history. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt wasn’t like the past log-cabin raised presidents because he was actually born to a wealthy family in New York City. His early struggles were not one of poverty but as a child he was actually quite ill. As a young boy Teddy was very frail and sickly. This was the first conflict conquered by his strong will when we followed an intense program of gymnastics and weightlifting to build strength. This...
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...In the early to mid 19th century, America was blossoming into her empiratic beauty. The Great War had just ended, new laboring laws were being enforced, and the roaring twenties were all the rage. On the political side of things, three very popular presidents were in office during this timeframe. These three men were Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow WIlson, and Theodore’s cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the timeless novel, The Progressive Presidents, author John Morton Blum captured the reader’s attention by showing a glimpse into the lives of these three progressivists and strengthened the idea liberalism. With America having endless opportunities around every corner, but also hindering under internal and external issues, the country was searching for a natural born leader who could save their home country from despair and turn America into the powerful empire the country desired. John Morton Blum wanted the country to see why the liberal progressive movement was the best political party to follow during such hard times in history, he did so by...
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...bringing up many questions about the food industry as a whole. These questions ultimately resulted in the passing of two related laws- the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food Act, enacted under the tutelage of president Theodore Roosevelt. While these reforms revolutionised American society, black Americans were frequently overlooked as a whole. This was most evidenced by the resurgence of the KKK, as well as the racist film Birth of a Nation, which glorified members of the KKK. Despite a general negative opinion towards black people, there were organisations founded to improve the black condition, such as W. E. B. Dubois’ NAACP, demanding immediate equality for black people in the U.S.. The economic focus of the period was largely centered around continual antitrust measures. The ultra wealthy of the day generally became so due to formations of large monopolies. Examples of this are Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, which at one point included over three quarters of the oil market in the United States, as well as Carnegie Steel. Popularised by Theodore Roosevelt, the act of “trust busting (Doc A),” became a staple in the policies of the progress presidents. Under TR, the Clayton Antitrust Act (Doc E) was passed, resulting in significantly greater power offered in regard to trusts when compared to its predecessor, the Sherman Antitrust Act. There was also an effort to redistribute wealth because of the large proportion of impoverished individuals in society. This was done mainly through...
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...Theodore Roosevelt played a very important role in society in which he achieved many goals and helped our country become a better nation for the rights of the people. For a young man that started out quite sickly due to asthma and an extremely weak heart, he was such a determined individual that didn’t allow his weaknesses to interfere with reaching his goals and acquiring such great achievements for one man. Although Theodore Roosevelt grew up in a wealthy environment, he was able to associate with not only the rich but he somehow managed to befriend and gain the utmost confidence even from those that were not so privileged. That is one of many reasons why he would be admired even today due to not only his strength in character but also how he didn’t allow wealth to define him as a person. He was an extremely hard working individual and even with a man that had such disadvantages as far as his health, he managed to become one of the most influential and triumphant men of our country. Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27th, 1858 into a wealthy Dutch New York City family. There were four children in all, Anna, Theodore, Elliot and Corinne Roosevelt. Although he had a very wealthy childhood upbringing, he also had a series of health issues including being diagnosed at a young age with asthma and poor eyesight, but he did not let those things stop him from achieving his goals. He was a very hardworking man who believed he could do anything he set his mind to because...
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...Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858. He was born in his house in New York City. His grandmother had a nickname for him "Teddie". Theodore suffered from asthma when he was little. He was too sick to attend school, so his aunt had to teach him at home. He had many careers. He was a policeman, in the navy, and a president. Theodore died on January 6, 1919, of a blood clot that clogged an artery that lead to his heart. He died in his bed a four o'clock in the morning. When Roosevelt was 23 his wife and mother dies on the same day in 1884. Theodore was sad and spent two years on the ranch he owned where he worked for the police department. He returned to New York and remarried. Him and his new wife had six children,...
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...The progressive era was the period of social, economic ,and political reform that took place after the gilded age. The primary purpose of the progressive era was to correct the mistakes in America that had taken place during the gilded age and progress the United States forward in the right direction. At the end of the gilded age the common American life was pretty crummy. People were controlled by corrupt governments and monopolies it was extremely difficult to get a job so many people were living in the streets. This all began to change with the election of Theodore Roosevelt and his Square Deal. The square deal aimed to help with the labor ,business, consumion , and environment of the American people. Theodore passed many laws to improve...
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...Theodore Roosevelt became president after President William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901. Roosevelt was the youngest man to ever move into the White House, he was only the age of forty-two. He was born a patrician and because an activist by nature. Roosevelt also had other jobs of course before becoming president. Some of these were: police commissioner of New York City, assistant secretary of the navy, colonel of the Rough Riders, and even as a cowboy in the Dakotas. Roosevelt thought that self-interested capitalists compose “the most dangerous members of the criminal class—the criminals of great wealth.” Wall Street ignorantly put out that the government had filed an antitrust suit against Northern Securities. As backfire, one newspaper backed up the president saying that he of course will be enforcing the law. Roosevelt wanted to be treated as an equal, he was...
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...establishment of a territory over the samoan Islands with Germany and Great Britain. During the post-Reconstruction period, Harrison appointed the nation's leading black leader, Frederick Douglass, minister to Haiti. He wanted to make the U.S a more dominant and powerful place. He also knew when to back out of a conflict. Substantial bills were signed by Harrison for internal improvements, naval expansion, and grant for steamship lines. On some occasions, Harrison showed that he was willing to go up against foreign nations when americans were at stake. Harrisons achievements in the area of foreign affairs show that his administration launched the nation on the road to empire. His firm actions in the Chilean and Samoan islands inspired Theodore Roosevelts “Big Stick” diplomacy. Harrison also undertook an active trade agenda, negotiating substantial trade agreements with key American trading markets that set the pattern for American trade policy in the years to...
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...The Sherman Antitrust Act prohibited businesses from trying to limit or destroy competition. A trust is a group of corporations that is run by a single board of directors. A monopoly is a company that wipes out its competitors and controls an entire industry. These monopolies were often unfair and made many people lose jobs and money. Child labor laws were also put into place. This made it so that children under 16 couldn’t work in coal mines or dangerous...
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