what's in the name? - was Roosevelt a good president?

'trust busting'

'square deal'

  • Roosevelt's domestic program, which reflected his three major goals:
  • conservation of natural resources
  • control of corporations
  • consumer protection.
  • These three demands are often referred to as the "three Cs" of Roosevelt's Square Deal.

conservation

control of corporations

consumer protection

nationalism

foreign policy

  • determined to make the Sherman Anti-trust act of 1890 more effective
  • 1902, Roosevelt instructed his attorney-general, Knox, to start proceedings against the northern securities company, a vast holding company which controlled 7 railroads in the north-east
  • involved taking on powerful businessmen such as Rockefeller + Morgan, monopolies for excess profits
  • 1904, supreme court decided that the company was illegal and it was dissolved
  • encouraged Roosevelt to embark on 44 anti-trust prosecutions
  • including american tobacco + standard oil
  • R far ahead of his time on conservation issues, possibly 1st president to realise environmental resources weren't finite
  • ordered 150 million acres of forest to be placed on federal reserves + strict enforced laws concerning grazing, mining and lumbering
  • 1908, R organised National Conservation Conference led to many states creating commission to look after the environment
  • supporting conservation --> supporting the 'people' against mining, timber and oil 'interests' (links to consumer protection)
  • R extended the role of federal gov in food consumption
  • act of 1906 led to federal programme of meat inspection
  • 1906: introduced the Pure food and drug act which started the process of ending food adulteration

Roosevelt state of union address, 1908: wanted an 8-hour working day, compensation for injuries at work and stick market regulation

  • R played an important role in getting this legislation passed by congress, encouraging the public to put pressure on their senators + congressmen to get the Bill passed
  • power to collect data from any business if it showed monopoly or price fixing

1903: department of commerce + labour act created a new department of commerce with a cabinet secretary

  • given the power to collect data from any business that dealt in interstate commerce which would be vital in identify the need to regulate business if it showed monopoly or price fixing
  • 1906 Hepburn Act gave a federal gov commission the power to inspect books of railroad companies
  • & lay down the max. rates they charge
  • REASON: protect the public from exploitation

labour relations

  • anthracite coal strike of 1902, R summoned both sides to Washington and told employers that unless they agreed to arbitration he would send troops to work in the mines
  • employers settled, raising wages and offering a nine-hour day
  • prev. presidents had always taken sides of the employers
  • made him popular with the working class

Open Door Policy, which called for keeping China open to trade from all countries. It was mostly rhetoric with little practical impact. A major turning point in establishing America's role in European affairs was the Moroccan crisis of 1905–1906.

Roosevelt made the case for what he called "the New Nationalism" in a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, on August 31, 1910. The central issue he argued was government protection of human welfare and property rights, but he also argued that human welfare was more important than property rights.

HOW SUCCESSFUL? -

affected the lives of native americans

  • have the lives of all the people improve?

relative measure

stable economy

stable foreign affairs

courageous? visionary?

TAKES INITOTVIVE - 'DEFENDER OF THE WORKING CLASS'

Tackling freight rates

food + drugs act - not getting scammed by food, small but significant

2 biggest Race riots during this time, R does little about it AOCP set up at the end of his term but wasn't apart of it

he was forced by his staff, to make these laws, did it for the good of the party, didn't reflect his aims

may not have done it for the right reasons - liberals felt he was reactionary - anthractite strike - prices went up - wasn't successful

liberals thought he didn't go far enough, conservatives thought he was going too far