Presidency of Woodrow Wilson

 

WIth the split between TR and Taft for Republican votes, Wilson (a progressive

       democrat) won the 1912 election

 

Wilson’s programs were similar to TR’s:

       greater political democracy

       more social and economic reforms

 

Wilson differed from TR because Wilson

       favored LOW tariffs

       opposed business consolidation

       felt that government should break up NOT regulate big business

 

Wilson was well educated (he was a professor of history at Princeton) who had high morals and idealistic ideas which made him less prone to compromise

 

He called Congress into special session, appeared personally before Congress to request legislation, he used patronage to swing votes in the Senate, and appealed to the people to secure doubtful votes in Congress

 

He is considered a very successful president because of his vigorous use of presidential power

 

Wilson introduced his policy of “NEW FREEDOM” which contained the following progressive reforms:

       lower tariffs

       improved banking system

       stronger business regulation

       protection of unions and workers

 

Wilson won a close race in 1916 for re-election on a peace platform, ultimately the U.S. would have to enter the war and the Progressive Era came to an end

 

Laws passed under Wilson:

       Underwood Tariff Act 1913 to lower tariff rates

       Federal Reserve Act 1913 to create national banking system

       Clayton Act 1914 to strengthen Sherman and exclude unions from

                prosecution

       Federal Trade Commission Act 1914 to prevent unfair business

                practices

 

Foreign Affairs:

       Trouble with Mexico: Pancho Villa

       Caribbean interventions continued

       U.S involvement in World War One

      

The end of the Progressive Era because of:

       controversy over the Treaty of Versailles

       Wilson became ineffectual because of failing health

       18th and 19th amendments were passed as last Progressive

                Movements

 

Post-war inflation led to a series of strikes and public opinion turned against labor unions

 

The Red Scare: people feared “red threats” within the United States because of  communist victory in Russia

      

       Attorney General Palmer conducted “Palmer Raids” seeking

            revolutionaries and communists, many times in violation of their

            rights

 

       By the end of 1920 this scare had subsided