10/25/12Upton Sinclair-The JungleAchievements-Political democracy extended-Initiative: the popular introduction of laws – voters can bring an issue to vote-Referendum: the popular vote on laws-Recall: the popular removal of officials-17th amendment (passed 1913): direct election of U.S. senators-Direct primary: allowed people to select their representation instead of the party-19th amendment (passed 1920): women’s suffrage-City management/commissioner type positions were adopted to reduce corruption in city government-Legislation passed to control businesses-1909: The profits from corporations taxed-Department of Commerce and Labor established -Laws safeguarding labor in public – factory and building inspection codes, etc. -Minimum wage and workman’s compensation established-1906: Pure Food and Drug Act, Meat Inspection Act -Legislation passed to preserve the nation’s natural resources-Social reforms esp. settlement houses growing-Public playgrounds, parks, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts – safe places for kids-Child Labor Law passedNot all the legislation passed around this time was good…-Jim Crow Laws-Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896-A New Ku Klux Klan founded 1915 by William J. Simmons, a Baptist preacher, in Stone Mountain, Georgia-Lynching continued to increase with no public outcry-Immigration lawsThe ProgressivesElection of 1904Republicans nominated TR with running mate Charles W Fairbanks Democrats nominated Alton B. Parks with running mate Henry G. DavisRepublicans won by a huge margin of electoral votesTR chose Secretary of War William Howard Taft to be his successorElection of 1908Taft campaigned on TR’s record, had support of Progressive RepublicansDefeated Democratic nomination William Jennings BryanTaft AdministrationMann-Elkins Act, 1910-Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission -Gave ICC power to suspend rate increases-Created a commerce court to help speed up litigation-Extended responsibility for communicationNelson AldrichPayne-Aldrich TariffReduction from 48% to 40% but it wasn’t really on items that made a difference – this made Progressive Republicans furious at TaftSecretary of Interior Richard A. Ballinger disliked federal controls and believed in private development of natural resources-Reopened a million acres for public sale-Included water power sites in the West and coal sites in Alaska Chief of Forestry Service Gifford Pinchot protested what Ballinger was doing-Taft decided Ballinger had done nothing wrong and Pinchot had to be removed-Pinchot had broken a rule forbidding a subordinate from direct communication with a senator by writing a letter to complain about BallingerRepublican Progressives-Revolt against Conservative Republicans “Old Guard” leadership-Discovered that if they cooperated with the Democrats they could control the House-Determined to use this power against the autocratic sway of Speaker of the House Joseph G. Cannon, an ultra conservative from Illinois who consistently and affectively stood in the way of progressive legislation-Removed Speaker from the Rules committee because he had too much power-For the first time in 16 years, the Democrats controlled the House-Taft was caught in the crossfire of the Progressives and the Republicans and was losing popularityTaft defended TR’s beliefs very well but got very little credit for his reforms-Prosecuted trusts-Brought suits against twice as many trusts as Roosevelt did in his years (not necessarily bad trusts, though)-Mann-Elkins Act-ConservationProgressive Republicans met in January 1911 Wisconsin senator Robert La Follette’s house, forming the National Progressive Republican League1912 ElectionTR’s participation ruined any chances of Follette getting a nominationTaft had control of party regulars - Republicans nominated TaftNew Progressive Party nominated Roosevelt with running mate Hiram Johnson -Bull Moose was the party’s symbol-New nationalism-Most radical party-Religious fervorDemocrats nominated Thomas Woodrow Wilson, a scholar/politicianAssassination of TR – finished speech with bullet in his lungWilson won 435 electoral votes but not the majority of the popular voteRoosevelt won 88 electoral votesTaft won 8 electoral votes1921: Taft appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court until 1930Woodrow Wilson Administration1902 became President of Princeton1910 elected governor of New JerseyHe had a learning disability, probably dyslexia, but had a near photographic memoryAccepted the necessity of racial separationFirst President since John Adams to address CongressFirst President to call a conferenceCold and standoffish in public, arrogant and austere, condescendingDespite criticism, he was extremely effective in putting across his program called New Freedom.Underwood-Simmons Tariff, 1913-First significant reduction of duties since before the Civil War-Revised rates down ~25%Federal Reserve Act, 1913-Considered the most important piece of economic legislation passed between the Civil War and the New Deal-Most lasting piece of legislation passed during the Wilson administration-Provided for a Federal Reserve Board, established to oversee the nation’s banking system-Federal Reserve Bank-Federal Reserve Notes-Advantages of the Federal Reserve System-More elastic credit system and greater safeguards against speculation-Decentralization of capital and wider distribution of banking facilities-More flexible currency-Central banking system Clayton Anti-Trust Act, 1914-Stronger version of Sherman Anti-Trust ActFederal Trade Commission Act, 1914-Formed new government board of five members to investigate the origin and management of corporations-Stopping monopoly power and unfair methods of competition-“Watch Dog Agency”Wilson appointed the first Jew to the Supreme Court in 1915 – Louis D. BrandeisProgressivism reached its peak during the Wilson administration, but soon the population’s attention turned from internal to foreign
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