The Progressive Era And The Elections

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Many felt the progressives had a main objective, and that objective was to show their concern about the outcome of urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. Progressives wanted to humanize and regulate big business. The progressives were willing to intervene on people's behalf; they wanted to improve society, though they agreed about something’s, Roosevelt and Wilson were total opposites in personality. Both presidents were able to connect with certain parts of the Progressive movement and used their connection as lead way or attention grabbers that would later attract voters. Progressivism was neither created nor intended to fit the beliefs of either Roosevelt or Wilson but gave incite to their beliefs and discussed their support on Progressive ideals. Which later helped to shape their plans for gaining votes and help to pursue their own policies?

Roosevelt had a more focused approach; order, efficiency, and energy characterized his approach. While, Wilson saw all some business endeavors as unproductive and stressed to have them abolished.

Roosevelt, was also focused on what he called his "New Nationalism", with concentrations on enhancing regulation and legislation these were things he hoped would help in his fight against things he considered to inhumane of Big Business, another of his idea was known as his "Square Deal", in "Square Deal" Roosevelt drew his plan for enforcing equal opportunity for all members of society, Roosevelt threatened to use the army to seize control of the mines, forcing them to settle. Historians have called Theodore Roosevelt the first modern president.

Roosevelt’s return to the American political scene in 1910 returning as a more radical Roosevelt. His position on corporations, public welfare, and labor were now extreme. The election of 1912 became a race that would define the future of industrial America. Roosevelt called his new political program "New Nationalism". In it, he pledged to destroy privilege and to give the highest possible value to every individual. Roosevelt was running against William H. Taft for their party’s nomination. Taft won the party’s nomination. This came about because of his ability to control party delegates. Roosevelt then accepted the nomination of the newly formed Progressive Party.

The party endorsed Roosevelt’s New Nationalism. It was a party made up of those who created progressivism and women were active delegates. The Democrats chose another young, well educated: Woodrow Wilson, governor of New Jersey. The Democrats adopted a progressive platform designed to unite the East and South. Wilson’s plan was called "New Freedom". Its economic and political ideas appealed to reason and self-interest. Wilson benefited from the split of voters between Taft and Roosevelt and he won 42 percent. Wilson cited his 42 percent and Roosevelt’s 27 percent as proof that the voters wanted change from the status quo and he promised to use government power to help implement social, political, and economic change.

Wilson began to implement that promised change and within a year and a half in office he had produced one of the most coherent and far-reaching legislative programs ever devised by a president. His New

Freedom program supported tariff reform, increased competition, and vigorous antitrust enforcement. Wilson’s New Freedom program linked liberal reform to individual initiative and the free play of markets.

Wilson was able to inspire Americans with his ideas, his graceful oratory, and his passionate belief in his causes.

Despite his lack of political experience, Wilson seized the progressive initiative and pushed landmark legislation through Congress. Days after his inauguration, Wilson called Congress into special session and successfully pushed through the Underwood Tariff substantially reducing rates and levying a modest income tax to make up for the lower tariff. Taking advantage of a new unity in the Democratic Party, Wilson also successfully supported the Federal Reserve Act, which centralized banking and created the Federal Reserve Board to regulate interest rates and the money supply, and the Clayton Antitrust

Act, which brought about much needed improvements in regulating trusts, outlawed interlocking directorates, and created the Federal Trade Commission. Wilson saw these laws as the completion of his New Freedom program, which angered some progressives.

Despite measured successes during 1914 and 1915 in labor, child labor, banking, business, and farming reforms, Wilson’s New Freedom was a disappointment to women and African Americans. Partially motivated by the upcoming election, in 1916 Wilson began pushing for a multitude of reforms. Included were the Federal Farm Loan Act, the

Adamson Act, the Keating-Owen child labor law, and support for women’s suffrage. After 1916, Wilson accepted much of Roosevelt’s New Nationalism, supporting greater federal power and regulation. Nevertheless, as America neared military intervention in the war in Europe, the reform experiment ended.

Though the progressives were extremely successful in some respects regulatory commissions, child labor laws, direct primaries, and city improvements there were many social problems they did not solve. Problems like race, they failed even to address. Middle class reformers created a new style of political participation in the first decade of the new century. They were not radicals in search of revolutionary change but rather well educated and informed men and women who wanted orderly, well-reasoned change. Government was not unaffected by the progressives and one area of government, namely the executive branch, acquired significantly more power during this period.

Despite this, the actions of Roosevelt and Wilson significantly expanded the powers of the presidency, and government at all levels began to accept the responsibility for the welfare of society. The onset of World War I, however, cut short the progressive spirit of reform.