The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt

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The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt

• CHA3U

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Election of 1900

• Imperialism central issue
• McKinley selects TR as VP
• TR - governor of N.Y.
• Recent victory in Spanish-American War and TR
  help McKinley to re-election

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Election of 1900

• McKinley campaigned on prosperity/War
• Democrats countered the war wasnt over
  Philippine resistance
• McKinley cruises to comfortable re-election

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McKinleys Assassination

• September 6, 1901
• McKinley attending Pan-American Exposition in
  Buffalo, N.Y.
• U.S. Secret Service formed to combat
  counterfeiting was providing informal security
• McKinley shook hands in a line after speech

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Leon Czolgosz (Cholgosh)

• Unemployed factory work
• Anarchist
• Carried pistol wrapped in white handkerchief
• Shot McKinley twice as he reached to shake his
  hand

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Assassination

• Dont let them hurt him! McKinley
• Doctors unable to locate bullet
• Dies from infection and gangrene on September 14
• TR sworn in as 26th President

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TR

• Assumed presidency at 42 (youngest ever)
• Icon of Progressive Era
• Promised to continue McKinleys policies
• Asked Congress to curb powers of giant
  corporations
• trust busting

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Progressivism

• Wanted Square Deal b/w business and labor
• Spokesman for Progressivism broad social reform
  movement in response to changes brought on by
  industrialization
• TR hated corruption
• Brought moralistic tone to politics

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Trust Busting

• Public feared trusts were cheating consumers and
  crushing small independent companies
• 1904 318 trusts controlled 40 of U.S.
  manufacturing
• Elkins Act (1903) fined railroads/shippers who
  offered/accepted rebates
• Hepburn Act (1906) regulated railroad rates and
  eliminated free passes to shippers
• Under TR orders AG brought 44 suits against
  trusts

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Ida Tarbell

• Wrote The History of Standard Oil (1904)
• Father was bankrupted by Rockefeller
• Exposed Rockefellers ruthless tactics
• muckraker investigative reporters who exposed
  societal issues conditions

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Standard Oil

• U.S. Dept of Justice used Sherman Anti-Trust Act
  (1890) to sue Standard Oil for sustaining a
  monopoly and restraining inter-state commerce
• Standard Oil controlled 91 of market in 1904
• Argued Standard Oil had engaged in price cutting,
  espionage, est. bogus companies, secret railroad
  rates

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Standard Oil Co. of N.J. v. United States (1911)

• Supreme Court found Standard Oil conspired to
  restrict trade and monopolize commerce in oil
  industry
• Had violated Sherman Anti-Trust Act
• Ordered Standard to break up into 34 different
  companies w/different ownership
• Decision inadvertently made Rockefeller richest
  man in history

13
Coal Strike of 1902

• Anthracite coal strike threatened winter heating
  supplies
• TR forced end to strike when threatened to use
  U.S. Army to mine coal and seize mines
• Lasted 163 days
• TR helps find compromise
• First example of federal government intervening
  as neutral arbitrator

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Regulation

• The Jungle Upton Sinclair (1906)
• TR pushes Congress to pass Meat Inspection Act
  (1906) inspect livestock
• Food and Drug Act (1906) labeling of food and
  drugs

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Foreign Policy

• Believed U.S. would be eventually be drawn into
  war w/ Japan
• Dramatically increased size of Navy -- Great
  White Fleet - circumvented globe b/w 1907-09
• Demonstrate Americas growing military power

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Roosevelt Corollary

• Addition to Monroe Doctrine
• U.S. would intervene in finances of unstable
  Caribbean/Central American countries if they
  defaulted on debts to European creditors
• By guaranteeing their debts, made it unnecessary
  for European powers to intervene to collect
• Germany Venezuela

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Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)

• Helped negotiate end of War
• Helped mediate Treaty of Portsmouth at naval
  yards in N.H.
• Earned Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for efforts

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The Panama Canal
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Panama Canal

• 1901- U.S. and U.K. sign Hay-Pauncefote Treaty
  granting rights to create and control canal
  across Central America that linked Atlantic and
  Pacific Oceans
• All nations would be free to use canal
• Would shorten route for freighters from S.F to
  N.Y. by 8 000 miles

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Panama Independence

• 1881 attempted by French 21 900 works die
  from yellow fever/malaria
• U.S. Paid 40 million to complete French work
• Panama - province of Columbia
• Columbian Senate demanded U.S. pay an additional
  10 million
• TR says no

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Panama Independence

• 1903 TR supports Panamanian Independence
• Deploys troops and naval forces to keep Columbia
  from suppressing rebellion
• Republic of Panama created w/ constitution
  written by U.S.
• U.S. signs protection treaty w/ Panama

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Panama Canal

• Chief Engineer John Frank Stevens rebuilt
  Panamas infrastructure rebuilt Panama Railway,
  proper housing, sanitation,
• Mosquitoes control programs to combat yellow
  fever and malaria
• Built b/w 1904-1914 finished 2 years ahead of
  schedule
• 5609 workers died

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The Panama Canal
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Odd Facts

• First president to travel abroad Panama
• First president to ride in car
• Teddy Bear toy originated from drawing of TR
  refusing to shoot bear

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Post-Presidency

• Sec of War. William Howard Taft wins 1908
  election
• Swore on election night 1904 he would not seek
  third term
• African Safari 1909 for Smithsonian
• Killed/captured 12 000 animals

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Republican Split

• Taft was TRs protégé
• Policies alienated antitrust reformers
  progressives, big business, and TR
• Democrats sweep midterm elections in 1910 and
  gain control of Congress
• Tafts re-election in doubt

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The Election of 1912

• TR seeks Republican nomination
• Taft had worked hard to sign up most party
  leaders before TR announced
• TR fails to get nomination and creates own party
  Progressive Party

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The Progressive Party

• TR pulled his delegates from convention to create
  party
• Bull Moose Party
• Platform To destroy this invisible Government,
  to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt
  business and corrupt politics is the first task
  of the statesmanship of the day.
• Democrats countered w/ Woodrow Wilson

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The Election of 1912

• Campaign stop Milwaukee, October 14, a saloon
  keeper named John Schrank shot TR
• Bullet lodged in chest after passing through
  speech and steel eye-glass case
• Delivered speech

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Assassination Attempt

• Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know whether you
  fully understand that I have just been shot but
  it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose. -
  TR

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The Election of 1912

• TR won 4.1 million votes to Taft's 3.7 million
• Failed to generate support in Republican Party
• Splitting Republican vote proved fatal to the GOP
• Wilson wins w/ 42 of the vote and 488 electoral
  votes

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The Election of 1912
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Legacy of TR

• Changed governments relationship w/ big business
• Shifted emphasis from Congress and parties to
  Presidency
• One of greatest presidents
• Died in his sleep 1919
• Death had to take him sleeping, for if he had
  been awake, there would have been a fight.