Progressive Era Presidents Taft and Wilson

Read Chapter 17-4 (Progressivism Under Taft) and Chapter 17-5 (Wilson's New Freedom)
Title: Progressive Era Presidents Taft and Wilson Labels: Wilson, Taft, Progressive_Era

1. How did William Howard Taft get selected to run for president? He got selected to run for president because after Roosevelt won the election in 1904, he pledged not to run for reelection in 1908 so he handpicked Taft, his secretary of war.
2. How did Teddy Roosevelt come to oppose Taft for the presidency in 1912? He came to oppose Taft for the presidency in 1912 because Roosevelt was running against him. Roosevelt was running for the Progressive party and Taft was his opponent, Taft was running for the Republican party. It was obvious that Roosevelt was wanted by Republicans but Taft supporters juggled around Taft's and Roosevelt's delegates from numerous delegations and put Taft in the Republican spot, so Roosevelt opposed Taft.
3. What events helped Woodrow Wilson win the election in 1912? The split in the Republican ranks gave the Democrats a real good chance of winning office and they chose Woodrow Wilson as their candidate. Taft and Roosevelt turned nasty on each other and with Wilson's progressive platform called the New Freedom, which demanded stronger antitrust legislation, banking reform and reduced tariffs, he was able to win the election of 1912.

4. What legislation did Wilson use to attack trusts and monopolies? Wilson supported small business and free market competition and he saw business monopolies as evil. Wilson described all business monopolies being a threat. Wilson won the 1912 presidency and in victory he could claim a mandate to break up trusts and to expand the governments role in social reform. The legislations he used were the direct primary, worker's compensation, and the regulation of public utilities and railroads. Wilson used the Clayton Antitrust Act to prevent monopolies.
5. What was the Nineteenth Amendment? The nineteenth amendment granted women the right to vote and it it was passed by Congress in 1919.
6. How did America's entry into World War I affect the reform movement? " Theres no chance of progress and reform in an administration in which war plays the principal part." Woodrow Wilson stated in 1913. It basically means that World War I destroyed any chance of further advancement for reform. World War I demanded Americas involvement and by getting involved, reform efforts stalled.