Homework 10/27/10 and Class notes

1.) Was Taft a true “progressive”? Make a list of points for and against.
Yes
• Deep belief in the law and people - has progressive ideas
• Man-Elkins Act - improving working conditions
• 16th and 17th amendment
No
• Still believes that big businesses should succeed
^--->Payne-Aldrich Tariff (example)
2.) Who were the contenders in the 1912 election? What were the election returns?
• Eugene V. Debs - Socialist
• Woodrow Wilson - Democrat
• Teddy Roosevelt - Progressive Party
• William Taft - Republican
• Woodrow Wilson won
3.) Define Wilson’s, “New Freedom”, platform
• Based on Progressive lawyer Louis Brandeis
• “Concentrated economic power threatens individual liberty” (602)
• Wilson also believed that monopolies had to be broken up so marketplace could be “more open”
4.) What reforms were passed during Wilson’s presidency?
• Blend New Freedom competition w/ New Nationalism comp.
• Federal Trade Commission
- Federal "Watchdog" Agency
- Investigated illegal business activity
• Wilson's Progressive Reforms
• Federal Tax & Underwood Tariff
- Supplemented tariff income
• Clayton Anti-Trust Act 1914
- strengthens Sherman Antitrust Act
- prohibited monopolies
- Labor Unions are allowed to exist/right to boycott

Homework 10/25/10

1.) What role did President Roosevelt want the federal government to serve? P.597
• A small and uninvolved government would not work in the industrial era
• Wanted the government to act as an umpire
• Decide when big business was good and bad
2.) What reforms (think new laws, agencies, etc.) were achieved during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency?
• Justice Department – antitrust laws to prosecute railroad, meatpacking, and oil trusts (he believed they were exploiting the public
• Pure Food and Drug Laws – protect from bad/expired food to be served to public
• Believed most efficient way to use and conserve resources would be for public management
^CONSERVATION^
• Hepburn Act - regulating price setting of railroads
3.) How did Teddy Roosevelt handle the 1902 United mine Workers’ Strike? How did this illustrate his stance toward unions?
• We need coal!
• Tried to stop the strikes
• The workers reasoned so they stopped striking
• Workers got less working time but no agreement to recognize the unions
• Teddy Roosevelt probably doesn’t like unions at this point in time

Homework 10/22/10

Being an American citizen in 1911 after reading the Triangle report, I would be a little concerned and scared. I would be scared because of the countless young people that died from one fire and the fact that many of them were as young as 15. It would also frighten me that the public thought this was a "fire-proof" building and that people were suffering for 30 minutes while the blaze was trying to be put out. My biggest concern would be that people were still working in these inhumane working conditions and that this was not the factory's first fire. I think action is definitely needed. Many buildings should have fire sprinklers installed and fire escapes should be located.

The events at the Triangle factory tie into the Progressive Era because of the harsh working conditions that people were fighting to eliminate, caused a holocaust. It shows that inhumane working conditions were not the best and that people didn't do anything to change them until a horrible event like the fire happened.

Homework 10/20/10

1.) Who were the "progressives"?

• people wanting to change the effect industrialization had on American society at the time
• "supported the assumption that gov't should ensure justice and well-being" (583)
• had "deep faith" that mankind could create a better world
  

2.) What projects/changes did they champion?

• the initiative - permitted voters to propose new laws
• the referendum - enabled voters to except or reject a law
• the recall - allowed voters to remove offending officials and judges before their terms expired
• WE WANT EFFICIENCY!
• they would reclaim gov't and replace the boss system with accountable managers
• inspired all types of new reformers
  

Homework 10/14/10

Times of business failure, riots, strikes, and employees failing their employers could all be seen in 1871-1900 resulting in the unproductive and unhappy times of industry. There were many reasons why 1871-1900 why so unproductive industrially.
During this time, many large businesses with newly hired immigrants were starting to emerge. Obviously the new workers were getting paid for their extremely harsh work conditions. When the officials of the businesses started to pay the hard workers less money than they thought they deserved, workers got extremely angry. They fired back at the heads of the businesses, the businesses themselves, and the supporters (remaining workers) of the plants. They rioted and protested resulting in the failing of businesses. These results were one main reason why the factories at the time were so unproductive. They had little to no workers and their factories were being vandalized. Even with the "modern" advances like new machines to do what was once manual labor, without workers, factories and businesses could not function and prosper.
1871-1900 was a definite time of failure and productiveness for large businesses. Employees proved to be the main reason for these failures with their striking and rioting.