Wilsonian Progressivism

• Background on Wilson
  • Wilson's dad was a Presbyterian Minister, so he came from humble background.
  • Went to Davidson and studied law at Princeton University, and eventually became president of the university.
  • One of Wilson's faults was his lack of ability to compromise because he was so smart.
• The "New Freedom"
  • Wilson was going to attack the triple wall of privilege. There were three ways that Wilson would go about them:
    • Stronger anti-trust laws (unlike Teddy who believed that some trusts could be good)
    • Banking reform: banking was still out of control
    • Tariff reductions: the tariff was still too high.
  • Wilson Tackles the tariff
    • Didn't like the tariff because it hurt everyone, but especially the poor people.
    • Underwood Simmons Tariff Bill in 1913 reduced the tariff dramatically to 20 something %. This act also implemented a graduated income tax.
    • By 1917 revenue from income tax surpassed revenue from tariff.
  • Wilson Battles the Bankers
    • Other peoples' money was the inspiration behind the second attack on banking.
    • Wilson passed the Federal Reserve Act in 1913
      • created a nation wide system of 12 banks, all overseen by the Federal Reserve Board.
      • The Board could increase or decrease the nations money supply through interest rates and the sale of Treasury Notes or "T-bills"
  • Wilson Tames the Trusts and HC
    • The Federal Trade Commission Act was passed (Brandies' Help in Congress) 5 parts to it
      • 1
      • 2
      • 3
      • 4
      • 5
    • The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914
      • Completes the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890
      • Prohibited businesses from selling at lower prices to certain favored purchasers if it creates a monopoly
      • "Trying Contracts" (a contract that requires the purchaser to agree not to buy or sell the products of a competitor) are prohibited
      • Interlocking directories illegal in companies worth more than $1 million
      • Prohibits one corporation from acquiring the stock of another if the purchase creates a monopoly
      • labor unions and farm organizations are legal
      • this act limits the use of injunctions to break up violent strikes
      • strikes, boycotts, pickets, and protests are all legal
    • Other Programs
      • Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916: made credit with low interest available to farmers
      • Smith-Lever Act of 1914: Federal money for schools including extension agents
      • Smith-Hughes Act of 1917: Federal money for vocational education for urban and rural kids
      • Keating-Owen At of 1916
      • World War 1 Acts were passed because the US wanted to maximize weapon production
        • Seaman Act of 1915: protected the sailors
        • Adamson Act of 1917: protected the railroad wokers
• Limits of Wilsonian Progressivism
  • Fought against Women's Suffrage as long as he possibly could
  • Progressivism stopped with the Blacks- the Federal Bureaucracy became more segregated (re-segregated)
  • Lynchings in the South
  • "Birth of the Nation" by DW Griffith was the 1915 Silent Film that glorified the KKK. This movie gave rebirth to the clan.
  • After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in NYC, ILGWU membership surged, women's suffrage gained momentum, but less women were hired in the workplace.
• A note on Wilson's Cabinet
  • Colonel House was an oddity in Wilson's cabinet, since he didn't have a specific job and he actually wasn't a Colonel.
    • He was called Wilson's "One-man kitchen cabinet" by the press.
    • House was an honorary member of the Kentucky state militia, which was why he was called a Colonel.