Progressive Era

Progressive Era (def.)  working for change through politics and social reform.

Progressive Presidents

Roosevelt

Taft

Wilson 

Aims of the Progressives

Restore Government to People

Correct Abuse from Industrialization

Restore opportunity thrum Economic Equality   

Muckrakers (def.) termed by TR -- exposed corruption in society

Reforms in Government

Australian Ballot -- (secret ballot)  all ballots printed in the same color.

Initiative, Referendum, and Recall

Direct Primary

Womens Suffrage -- 19th Amendment

Direct Election of Senators -- 17th Amendment

Reform of City Government -- slow down political corruption

Theodore Roosevelt

Born 1858 -- to wealthy New York Family

Sickly child -- Suffered from asthma

became aggressive -- physically and mentally

Political Rise to Power

1882 -- Elected to New York Legislature

1884 -- Moved to Dakota after death of wife and daughter

1886 -- lost election for mayor of New York

1886-1889 -- Wrote History of Navy

1889 -- Appointed civil service commissioner

1895 -- Became chief of police in New York

1897 -- Appointed Assistant Sec. of the Navy

1898 -- Resigned Navy and headed Rough Riders --

                 returned from war and elected Governor of New York

1900 -- V.P. under William McKinley

1901 -- Sept. 6th, McKinley shot -- TR became the

                 youngest President (age 42)

Roosevelts Domestic Policy

The Square Deal

1. Coal Strike of 1902

When labor and owners could not agree --

TR threatened to operate the mines with Federal Troops.  This was Government intervention in a labor disputes

2. Roosevelt the Trust Buster passed laws to bust the trust

Expedition Act of 1903

Est. Dept. of Commerce and Labor

1904 -- 44 suits against trust using the law to their advantage, trust

     were maintain while TR was Pres., BUT his actions allowed Taft

     to destroy Trust

3. Good Trust / Bad Trust

1911 -- Supreme Court developed Rule of Reason

Example -- Public Service Commission

4. Railroad Legislation

Elkins Act 1903 -- Disallowed rebates

Hepburn Act of 1906 -- Regulated Railroads

Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 -- telephone under government control

5. Public Health

Meat Inspection Act 1906

Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906

Roosevelts Goals in Foreign Policy

A President must...Calculate National Interest v. the Amount of Risk

1. Monroe Doctrine  cornerstone of his policy

2. Control Western Hemisphere

3. Avoid War

4. Classify Foreign Powers

#1 Britain -- not keeping up with technology

#2 France -- falling fast

#3 Austria -- Political Zombie

#4 Italy -- nothing to worry about

#5 Russia -- sleeping giant...great economic  possibilities

#6 Germany -- watch out...very aggressive and growing fast

#7 United States -- Balance of Power

5. Maintain Physical strength to defend the

   Balance of Power by:

A.  Triple the Navy

B.  Maintain Strong Nationalism

C.  Build up the Armed Forces

6. Do not  publicly humiliate any major nation

7. Use diplomacy

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine states America would be the international police force for the western hemisphere.

The Panama Canal

America needed a way for the navy to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific for Americas security.

Time Line

1846  US signed treaty with Columbia for R.R.

1850  US agrees to share canal rights with G.B.

1880  Ferdinand de Lesseps (France) tried but failed to build a canal

  because of  yellow fever and poor engineering

1898  USS Oregon had to travel around S. Am.when the

              USS Maine exploded

1901  TR becomes President

1901  G.B. eliminated from canal rights

The Players:

T. Roosevelt President of US

John HaySecretary of State for TR

Herran   President of Columbia

Bunau-Varilla      Frenchman working to get US to buy the Panaman

  site so that France would get their money back.

Gen. Tobar   Military General from Colombia

The Story

Two possible canal routes:

1. Nicaragua

2. Panama

French sent Philippe Bunau-Varilla to US to lobby against Nicaragua.  Using the Nicaraguan national symbol of a volcano to scare Americans, US voted for the Panama site.

Hay-Herran Treaty

French got 40 million

Columbia got 10 million plus $250,000 per year

US got 6 mile wide strip

Everyone agreed except Colombia--they wanted more money

TR had Bunau-Varilla organize revolution in Panama

Colombia sent Gen. Tobar and staff on the American train from Colon to Panama City-- they were captured.

USS Nashville landed in Colon and sent remaining Colombian soldiers home

US recognized Panama as a country in 48 hours

Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty

French got 40 million

Panama got 10 million, plus $250,000 a year

US got 10 mile wide strip for 99 years 

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