American History
Theodore Roosevelt is known as the 26th President of the United States and the first president to have served the full cadence in the 20th century. It is no wonder that his presidency was marked by a series of measures which as a result have influenced the course of American history of the previous century.
Theodore Roosevelt is known as one of the key figures of the Era of Progressivism famous for their great achievements in politics, economics as well as in civil rights. Being a qualified biologist he tried scientific approaches to social problems he had to deal with. He sought for a harmony similar to that which exists in nature.
The policy of the Square Deal is viewed as the most famous and successful Theodore Roosevelt’s brainchild. The Square Deal included three basic components: control of trusts (trust-busting), consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources (conservationism)1.
To reduce the power and influence of trusts which succeeded to had gaining control over two-fifths of American industrial output, Roosevelt nicknamed the Trust-Buster did his best to increase the federal authorities’ power. A series of such regulatory acts as the 1903 Elkins Act and 1906 Hepburn Act helped much to split monopolies into dozens of smaller competing with each other.
This notwithstanding the Trust-Buster was not persistent enough about such matters as civil rights. He was the first President to have invited an African –American (Booker T. Washington) at eh white House to dinner however after the media outcry he became reluctant to make any further advancements concerning African-American civil rights. Nevertheless, Roosevelt consistently defied anti-Semitism. He was the first American President who appointed a Jew to the federal government.
Woodrow Wilson is known as another key figure of American Progressivism. This President has made considerable advancements in American legislation including improvements in anti-trust legislation. According to the 1914 Clayton Antitrust Act2 some business practices were made illegal. These were regulations forbidding retailers to handle other companies’ goods, price discrimination; directorates were forbidden to manage other companies. Furthermore, the new Wilsonian legislation imposed personal responsibilities upon individual officers of companies for violating anti-trust laws.
Likewise, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson was not persistent in their Progressivist policies. In 1916 he had Keating–Owen Act pushed through Congress. Although this Act supposed child labor to be curtailed to offer children more opportunities for learning at school, it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Thus child labor remained legal until 1930.
Despite his efforts to keep American neutrality in World War I the United States was compelled to enter this war. America’s entering war inevitably led to the reduction of civil rights as well as to food shortages.
Although America shared the victory in World War I the War To end ALL Wars it was not that victory to crown American Progressive Era. It ended with the implementation of Prohibition. However implementation of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which mandated outlawing the sale, distribution, and manufacturing of alcohol nationally followed by lots of drastic consequences it resulted in decreasing in hard drinks consumption within the period.
The advent of Progressivism was caused by the rapidly increasing role of vast popular masses in industrial production and social life. The increasing gap between the rich and the poor made could have inevitably led to the popular outbreak. Despite all the shortcomings and defects measures and activities related to the Progressive Era and thus Roosevelt’s and Wilson’s cadences contributed much to the present-day America’s power and might.
Bibliography
Brands, H. W. T. R.: The Last Romantic. (New York: Basic Books, 1997).
Ramírez, Carlos D.; Eigen-Zucchi, Christian. Understanding the Clayton Act of 1914: An.
Analysis of the Interest Group Hypothesis”. Public Choice 106 (1-2).
Footnotes
- Brands, H. W. T. R.: The Last Romantic. (New York: Basic Books,1997).
- Ramírez, Carlos D.; Eigen-Zucchi, Christian. Understanding the Clayton Act of 1914: An Analysis of the Interest Group Hypothesis”. Public Choice 106 (1-2).