Lesson 1: Roosevelt's Progressive Domestic Policies

Lesson Focus

Fearing his progressive reforms, industry leaders watched as President Theodore Roosevelt took office. He quickly acted on his "square deal" promise, using presidential power to ensure fairness for the American people.

People to Know

Theodore Roosevelt

Learning Objectives

• Understand why President Roosevelt earned the nickname "trust buster" by challenging powerful corporate monopolies.
• Trace the key events and Roosevelt's intervention that brought the major 1902 coal strike to a resolution.
• Explore Roosevelt's pioneering conservation efforts to protect America's wilderness and natural resources.
• Evaluate President Roosevelt's lasting legacy and his impact on the role of the federal government.

The rise of huge monopolies like the Northern Securities Company and Congress’s inaction prompted Theodore Roosevelt to act. He used the Sherman Act to sue the trust, leading to a Supreme Court victory in 1904 that broke it up. This success spurred Congress to pass the Expedition Act and create the Department of Commerce and Labor, establishing a new precedent that the federal government would regulate big business to protect the public interest.

The 1902 coal strike began when United Mine Workers demanded better pay and owners like George F. Baer refused to negotiate, threatening a winter fuel crisis. Although he had no legal power, Roosevelt intervened by using his presidential influence and enlisting financier J. Pierpont Morgan to pressure the mine owners. As a result, the strike was settled, establishing a powerful precedent for government intervention in labor disputes for the public good.

Deeply concerned about the destruction of America’s wilderness, Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a cornerstone of his presidency. He used the Forest Reserve Act to triple national forest land and supported the Newlands Act of 1902. He also created the National Conservation Commission, making conservation a national movement. This work preserved vital resources, an achievement even critic Robert La Follette praised as Roosevelt's greatest contribution to the nation's future.

After his 1904 election, public demand for reform led Roosevelt to target unfair industry practices. He pushed Congress to pass the Hepburn Act of 1906, which gave the government power to set railroad rates and end abuses like free passes. Inspired by Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," he also secured the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, ensuring safer food. These acts greatly expanded the government's role in protecting consumers.

Roosevelt believed the government must ensure a Square Deal for all citizens by addressing problems caused by industrialization. He implemented this philosophy by busting trusts, settling strikes, conserving nature, and regulating industries, using his office to rally public support. Pay special attention to this: Although he faced congressional resistance, Roosevelt fundamentally restored faith in the federal government’s power to serve the people and created the model for the modern, active presidency.