Michael Chiu

AP US History
Period 2
1/31/10
Outline of Chapter 22: The Battle for National Reform
-After efforts to reform the industrial economy at the state and local levels frustrated
reformers, they believed that only national action could effectively control their power –
looked to federal government – attempted to make it more responsive to their demands
Theodore Roosevelt
-to many people, Theodore Roosevelt was an idol – attracted attention and devotion
The Accidental President
-Roosevelt became president after William McKinley was assassinated – became the
youngest man ever to become president – he was 42 years old
-He was a member of the N.Y. legislature and a rancher in the Dakota Badlands – also was
New York City police commissioner and assistant secretary of the navy – also commander
of the Rough Riders – as a president, Roosevelt never rebelled against leaders of his party
Government, Capital, and Labor
-Roosevelt envisioned the federal government as a mediator of the public good – not
opposed to economic concentration but allied himself with progressives who urged
regulation of the rusts – believed that consolidation produced abuses of power
-In 1902, he ordered the Justice Department to invoke the Sherman Antitrust Act against a
new railroad monopoly in the Northwest, the Northern Securities Company – in 1904, the
Supreme Court ruled that the company must be dissolved – although Roosevelt filed
additional antitrust suits during his presidency, he had no serious commitment to reverse
the prevailing trend toward economic concentration
“The Square Deal”
-The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 had been an early effort to regulate industry but the
courts had sharply limited its influence
-The Hepburn Railroad Regulation Act of 1906 sought to restore some regulatory authority
to the government – very cautious and satisfied few progressives
-Roosevelt also pressured Congress to enact the Pure Food and Drug Act – restricted the
sale of dangerous medicine – after publication of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Roosevelt
pushed for passage of the Meat Inspection Act – helped eliminate diseases in unpure meat
Roosevelt and Conservation
-The Old Guard may have opposed Roosevelt’s efforts to extend government control over
vast new lands but supported another aspect of Roosevelt’s natural resource policy – the
public reclamation and irrigation projects – the president backed the National Reclamation
Act or the Newlands Act – provided federal funds for the construction of dams, reservoirs,
and canals in the West
Roosevelt and Preservation
-Roosevelt added significantly to the National Park System – protected public land from
exploitation – Congress created first national park, Yellowstone in Wyoming in 1872
The Hetch Hetchy Controversy
-the Hetch Hetchy Valley was a highly popular valley with naturalists such as Muir – many
residents of San Francisco worried about finding enough water to serve their growing pop.
-San Francisco suffered a devastating earth quake in 1906 – Roosevelt turned the decision
for construction of the dam to his chief forester Gifford Pinchot – approved construction
The Panic of 1907
-Although Roosevelt was able to enact many reforms, the government could still not
control the industrial economy – panic and recession struck in 1907
-Conservatives blamed Roosevelt’s “mad” economic policies
-J.P. Morgan helped construct a pool of the assets of several important New York banks to
prop up shaky financial institutions – believed that key to arrangement was the purchase of
the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company by U.S. Steel – needed assurances that purchase
would not prompt antitrust action – Roosevelt agreed and panic soon subsided
The Troubled Succession
-William Howard Taft assumed the presidency in 1909 – Theodore Roosevelt’s most
trusted lieutenant and hand-picked successor – expected to abandon aggressive use of
presidential powers – won over William Jennings Bryan
Taft and the Progressives
-The Payne-Aldrich Tariff, the result of a special session to lower protective tariff rates, an
old progressive demand, barely reduced tariff rates and some areas actually raised them –
Taft’s passivity – made no effort t overcome opposition of the congressional Old Guard
-Taft replaced Roosevelt’s secretary of the interior, James R. Garfield, with Richard A.
Ballinger – Louis Glavis charged new secretary to have once planned to turn over valuable
public coal lands in Alaska to a private syndicate for personal profit – took evidence to
Gifford Pinchot – Pinchot took it to Taft, who decided they were groundless
-Pinchot leaked story to the press and asked Congress to investigate – Glavis and Pinchot
were both discharged – Ballinger was declared innocent – many progressives still
supported Pinchot – when controversy was over, Taft had alienated supporters of Roosevelt
completely and it seemed, irrevocably
The Return of Roosevelt
-Signal that Roosevelt wanted to assume leadership of Republican reformers was in a
speech given in Osawatomie, Kansas – outlined a set of principles which he named “New
Nationalism” – argued that social justice was only possible through a strong federal gov’t
Spreading Insurgency
-Two events caused Roosevelt to consider the presidency – the announcement of the
administration of a suit against U.S. Steel, which charged that the 1907 acquisition of the
Tennessee Coal and Iron Company had been illegal – secondly, Senator Robert La Follette
suffered a nervous breakdown during a speech in Philadelphia
Roosevelt versus Taft
-Roosevelt launched the new Progressive Party and nominated himself as its presidential
candidate – party was known for commitment to a wide range of progressive causes that
had grown in popularity over the previous two decades
-However, Roosevelt entered the fall campaign aware that his cause was almost hopeless
because the man the Democrats had nominated for president
Woodrow Wilson and the New Freedom
Woodrow Wilson
-Woodrow Wilson emerged as the Democratic Party’s nominee – presented a progressive
program that came to be called the “New Freedom” – Wilson believed that bigness was
both unjust and inefficient
The Scholar as President
-Wilson’s first triumph as president was the lowering of the protective tariff – the
Underwood-Simmons Tariff provided cuts substantial enough, progressives believed, to
introduce real competition into American markets
-Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act – created 12 regional banks – each controlled by
the individual banks of its district – the regional Federal reserve banks would use reserves
to support loans to private banks at a discount rate - would issue new type of paper
currency – Federal Reserve notes – would become nation’s basic medium of trade
Retreat and Advance
-After the congressional elections of 1914, Wilson would not be able to rely on a divided
opposition when he ran for reelection so he began to support a second flurry of reforms –
appointed Louis Brandeis to the Supreme Court – also supported the Keating-Owen Act –
federal act regulating child labor – prohibited shipment of goods produced by underage
children across state lines
The “Big Stick”: America and the World, 1901-1917
Roosevelt and “Civilization”
-Roosevelt believed in an important distinction between the “civilized” and “uncivilized”
nations of the world – “civilized” nations were predominantly white – “uncivilized” nations
were generally nonwhite – although racism was part of the distinction, economic
development also played a part in the basis of the distinction
Protecting the “Open Door” in Asia
-When the Japanese staged a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur in a
province of China that both hoped to control, Roosevelt agreed to a Japanese request to
mediate the conflict – at peace conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Russians
recognized Japan’s territorial gains and the Japanese agreed to cease the fighting and
expand no further – Roosevelt won Nobel Peace Prize in his work to end that war
-Japan soon began to exclude American trade from many territories it controlled –
Roosevelt sent sixteen battleships of the American navy to voyage around the world that
included a call on Japan to remind them of the potential of the U.S. – “Great White Fleet”
The Iron-Fisted Neighbor
-the “Roosevelt Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine stated that the U.S. had the right not
only to oppose European intervention in the Western Hemisphere but also to intervene
itself in the domestic affairs of its neighbors if those neighbors proved unable to maintain
order and national sovereignty on their own
-In 1902, the U.S. granted political independence to Cuba after the new government agreed
to the Platt Amendment – gave U.S. the right to prevent any foreign power from intruding
into the new nation
The Panama Canal
- Columbia demanded at least 20 million from the Americans plus a share of the payment
to he French for the land where the Panama Canal was planned to be built – Philippe
Bunau-Varilla, a U.S. ally, helped organize and finance a revolution in Panama – 3
days later Roosevelt landed troops from the U.S.S. Nashville in Panama, Roosevelt
recognized it as an independent nation – Panama Canal opened in 1914
Taft and “Dollar Diplomacy”
-Philander C. Knox, Taft’s secretary of state, worked to extend American investments into
less-developed regions – critics called his policies “Dollar Diplomacy” – this was
particularly visible in America’s intervention in Nicaragua
Diplomacy and Morality
-Woodrow Wilson entered presidency with relatively little interest in international affairs
-Wilson’s view of America’s role in the world was not entirely similar to the views of his
predecessors
-Corrupt dictator Porfirio Diaz had allowed American businessmen to establish an
enormous economic presence in Mexico – however, Diaz was overthrown by Francisco
Madero who was hostile to American businesses in Mexico
-The U.S. encouraged a general Victoriano Huerta to depose Madero and the Taft
administration prepared to recognized the new Huerta regime and welcome back a
receptive environment for American investments in Mexico – Woodrow announced he
would never recognize Huerta’s “government of butchers”
-Wilson didn’t expect blood to be shed – in Veracruz, there was a clash with Mexican
troops – his show of force helped strengthen the position of the Carranza faction – forced
Huerta to flee the country – however, Wilson was angry when Carranza refused to accept
American guidelines for the creation of a new government
-Wilson briefly considered supporting Pancho Villa, Carranza’s lieutenant who was leading
a rebel army of his own – when Pancho’s position deteriorated, Wilson abandoned him and
granted preliminary recognition to the Carranza government
-Villa was angry at what he considered an American betrayal – killed Americans
-With permission of the Carranza government, Wilson ordered General John J. Pershing to
lead a force across the Mexican border in pursuit of Villa – never found him but engaged in
two skirmishes with Carranza’s army – two nations stood at brink of war – Wilson
withdrew American troops from Mexico – granted formal recognition to the Carranza
regime in 1917 – Wilson’s attention was turned to the international crisis engulfing Europe