High School US History lecture about Theodore Roosevelts term in office.

1. Ch. 13.2 Roosevelt in Office

2. Objectives:
1. Describe various efforts to regulate concentrated
corporate power
2. Discuss Theodore Roosevelt’s interest in environmental
conservation

3. Roosevelt’s Presidency
-Known as Teddy Roosevelt
-Domestically he was committed to progressives
-His reform programs became known as the square deal. The Square Deal was
President Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program, which reflected his three
major goals: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and
consumer protection. These three demands are often referred to as the "three Cs"
of Roosevelt's Square Deal. He was going to treat everyone the same.

4. 4
For many Western observers, the idea of
technological superiority indicated some sort
of larger racial superiority. A variety of
pseudo-scientific theories were developed to
explain the power differential between the
industrial West and the pre-industrial East
and South.
Social Darwinism was a misapplication of
Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution into
the context of society. Allowing many to
view “survival of the fittest” as justification for
the destruction or domination of weaker
societies, arguing that competition among
white nations and people of color was a
natural occurrence and the victors should not
feel guilty. Roosevelt could be considered a
social darwinist in international affairs.

5. Roosevelt Takes on the Trusts
-Wanted to find a way to regulate big business without destroying economic
efficiency
-Fight for control of Burlington railroad between 3 men E.H. Harriman, James
J Hill, JP Morgan/ the three merged and created a giant holding company
(Northern Securities.) The purpose of the new company was to acquire stock
in two railroads, the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern.
-Roosevelt said Northern Securities went against the Sherman Antitrust Act
-Northern Securities Vs. United States- Supreme Court ruled (5 to 4) the
company violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and it was forced to disolve.
Roosevelt was praised as Trust Buster by the newspapers.

6. The Coal Strike of 1902
-United Mine Workers called a strike of
miners who dug for hard coal. About
150,000 workers walked out of Eastern
Pennsylvanian mines to gain shorter
workdays, higher wages and
recognition of their union.
-Roosevelt urged the union and owners
to accept arbitration/ The union agreed/
The owners did not
-Furious Roosevelt threatened to send
the army to work the mines/the owners
gave into arbitration
Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. John Mitchell, President of the
UMWA (United Mine Workers of America), arriving in the
coal town during the Anthracite coal strike of 1902. His open
four-horse carriage is surrounded by a crowd of boys.

7. The Bureau of Corporations
-Roosevelt believed best way to keep big business from abusing power was through
knowledge and publicity of facts
-The Bureau of Corporations, predecessor to the Federal Trade Commission, was
created as an investigatory agency within the Department of Commerce and Labor in
the United States. The Bureau and the Department were created by Congress on
February 14, 1903. The task of the Bureau of Corporations was to gather information
about companies in order to determine if they were acting in the public interest. The
Bureau had the power to inspect the books of all companies doing business across
state lines (interstate commerce).
-Gentlemen’s agreement- U.S. Steel would make account records public in exchange
the Bureau would advise company privately for wrong doings

8. In this cartoon, from Puck April 20, 1904, the view is that investigations by the federal government will "let the air out" of
the trusts. Ideas about curbing business practices through investigation and publicity went well back into the 19th century.

9. Congress Follows
-1906- Roosevelt pushed for the
Hepburn Act- meant to strengthen the
ICC (interstate commerce commission)
-Hepburn act- gave ICC power to set
railroad rates/ at first railroad
companies were angry but soon
realized they could work with ICC to
bring down competition

10. Social Welfare Action
-Samuel Hopkins Adams- muckraker. In 1905, he
moved to Collier's Weekly, where he wrote a series
of 11 searing and sensational articles on “The Great
American Fraud,” the patent medicine business. He
exposed many of the false and even ridiculous
claims made by patent medicine manufacturers and
showed that these medicines frequently harmed
rather than helped those who took them. He
exposed many companies that marketed potions
which “cured” many diseases, but they really were
just alcohol or contained harmful drugs like cocaine
or opiates.

12. 1906- Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle” detailing appalling conditions in the
meatpacking industry.
-Meat inspection Act- 1906- ensures that meat and meat products are slaughtered
and processed under strictly regulated sanitary conditions and requires federal
inspection of meat sold.
-Pure Food and Drug Act- 1906-prohibited manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure
or falsely labeled food and drugs and led to creation of Food and Drug Administration.

13. Conservation
-Noticing that America’s resources were being used up at an alarming rate
Roosevelt urged America to conserve these resources
-Roosevelt was an outdoor enthusiast
- “will only work with the man that develops the country not the man that skins the
land”
-Teddy bear was named after Teddy Roosevelt/ Roosevelt refused to kill a
defenseless bear cub on a hunting trip

14. Land Development in the West
-Newlands Reclamation Act- Authorized the use of federal funds from public land
sales for irrigation and land development projects
-Made it to where the federal government developed the West

15. Gifford Pinchot
-Appointed by Roosevelt as the first head of the United States Forest service.
-Scientific standards should be applied to landscaped to benefit the most people
-Roosevelt and Pinchot regulations controlling lumbering on federal lands
“Unless we practice conservation, those
who come after us will have to pay the
price of misery, degradation, and failure
for the progress and prosperity of our
day.” Gifford Pinchot

16. Roosevelt’s legacy
-Roosevelt added over 100 million acres into protected national forests. As
President from 1901 to 1909, he signed legislation establishing five new national
parks: Crater Lake, Oregon; Wind Cave, South Dakota; Sullys Hill, North Dakota
(later re-designated a game preserve); Mesa Verde, Colorado; and Platt,
Oklahoma (now part of Chickasaw National Recreation Area). However another
Roosevelt enactment had a broader effect: the Antiquities Act of June 8, 1906.
The Antiquities Act enabled President Roosevelt and succeeding Presidents to
proclaim historic landmarks, historic or prehistoric structures, and other objects
of historic or scientific interest in federal ownership as national monuments.
-Changed the role of federal government/ people began to look to federal
government to solve issues
-Executive branch expanded power under Roosevelt’s presidency