Compare & Contrast the Presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman

In the realm of politics the only thing that will get you on top is from thriving from the dreams of the people. The progressive era consisted of a varied collection of groups of people, artists, reformers, and mainly the middle class. The president during that time, Theodore Roosevelt is often closely joined to the presidency of Harry S. Truman. Theodore Roosevelt’s reform movements are a direct influence of later reform movements during the mid twentieth century. President harry S. Truman championed the end of World War II and fought to introduce similar reform movements to that of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his cousin; Theodore Roosevelt. The twentieth century reflected many similarities and differences to the previous progressive presidents. Sometimes the only constant in history is not change, which can be explained by the presidencies of Harry S. Truman and Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman were extremely different presidents with distinct differences via their initial plans, labor policies, foreign policies, and domestic policies but Theodore Roosevelt proved to be the better of the two presidents.




Being a vice president during the time of President McKinley’s death, Roosevelt did not have very much of a plan. But compared to the plan of Truman it was destined to stand the test of time. Being a president for the people President Roosevelt’s plan, “the square deal” dealt with the control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation which all proved extremely necessary for the survival of the average man. Unlike Truman’s fair deal, many of Roosevelt’s plans actually got past congress. Writers during the time of Roosevelt known as muckrakers severely altered America’s way of thinking. They were able to open the eyes of America and pin-point many of the problems the federal government wished to keep secret. Theodore Roosevelt was one of the many afflicted by the heart wrenching stories created by the writers. Upton Sinclair’s book entitled the Jungle influenced Roosevelt to pass such acts as the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and the Pure Food and Drug Act. At the same rate, Truman managed to contemplate ideas such as a universal health plan and a more comprehensive Civil Rights Bill but hardly any of his ideas came to fruition during his presidency.




The Industrial Revolution, a few decades prior to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, left many blind spots in America’s consumer based markets. Such job locales as railroad site, stores, and mines were hit the hardest, when it came to a lack of consumer protection. As stated in Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”, Roosevelt quickly established such acts as the Elkins Act of 1903 and the Hepburn Act of 1906 geared to stabilize the quickly growing railroad sites. Fixed rates made it much easier for the public to trust railroad companies and in turn trust a Republican president. Truman on the other hand actually made several strides when it came to consumer protection. His best own act was the Minimum Wage Act of 1949 which dramatically increased the minimum wage nation-wide. Although this act was grand, it paled in comparison to Roosevelt’s treatment of American workers. As amplified in the Anthracite coal strike where Roosevelt forced the company to recognize the “little guy’s struggle”. In a similar situation with the United Mine workers, Truman threatened to cease control of the cooperation if the strike was not nullified.




As problems arose on the home front both Theodore Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman can be seen as imperialists as they attempted to secure America’s right as a world power. Similar to the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt established the Roosevelt Corollary which established America’s right to interfere with Central America. The first thing Roosevelt did with authorization to Central America was create the Panama Canal in conjunction with John Frank Stevens. The building of the canal in the long run can be seen as a fantastic idea, but during its construction it was hailed by the people as a “disaster” as it was plagued by such diseases as Malaria and experienced severe and often deadly landslides. Roosevelt’s policy “speak softly and carry a big stick” and increasingly similar to the foreign policy of Harry S. Truman. Truman’s greatest and most controversial foreign escapade was the dropping of the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The bombing cost thousands of lives and did three times the damage of Roosevelt’s manufacturing of the Panama Canal.




Roosevelt’s greatest feat when it came to domestic policy was his conservation policy. Roosevelt and his chief advisor in conservation affairs, Gifford Pinchot introduced the Carey Land Act and Newlands Reclamation Act was Roosevelt’s way of preserving a piece of America for future generations. Truman’s domestic endeavors were less extravagant and hardly did anything to influence America’s Republican laden congress such Acts including the Housing Act of 1949 and the Social Security Act of 1950. These acts could be seen as a completely lack of trust, since such acts were initially created during the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. The “little bull moose” progressive motivated president Roosevelt whole-heartedly succeeded in being a better president than the “Give ‘Em Hell” president Truman.




The differences and similarities of the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman were immense. Roosevelt’s progressive bridled policies thoroughly trampled the ideals of the Fair Deal. Roosevelt succeeded in being the one of few presidents that was able to balance both domestic and foreign policies; Truman was not one of those presidents. He was able to limit the power of big business at home and build a canal of hope in Central America. President Truman and President Roosevelt also had distinct similarities. One being that they wished to reform society by increasing Civil Rights for all or protect the consumer at all costs. On top of winning a Nobel Prize and surviving the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt won the hearts of all Americans and didn’t have to drop a bomb to get the nation’s attention.

Was the United States justified in using Atomic Bombs against Japan in 1945? (Blog due on Sun @ 2:30)

As nations struggled to rebuild their infrastructure after the Great Depression, terror appeared in the midst of the horizon. The ideas of fascism and totalitarianism and the signage of the treaty of Versailles had begun to cause panic among the citizens of Europe and its belligerents. Such dictators as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini showed off their political majesty to reach their imperialistic goals. Among the many influences of World War II, nationalism played a bigger part than all the rest. As such leaders as Hitler used their spectacular oratorical skills to arouse their citizens, their countries’ production doubled two-fold. As in World War I, the United States of America attempted to uphold a position of neutrality, but in some cases aggression is the only route to true victory. The Japanese were causing great disturbances in Asia. As they achieved their first imperialistic goals, capturing the province of Manchuria in 1931, the Japanese even established a “pet government” in Manchuria, which completely outraged their cronies in the League of Nations. The United States had seen what the Japanese were really capable of by witnessing a violation in the open Door Policy, but believed the battle in the Eastern Hemisphere, should stay in the Eastern Hemisphere. It was not until the sinking of the Panay in 1937 and bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 were the United States of America forced to make a decision. The United States was justified in using the atomic bombs against Japan in 1945 in order to end of war, ceasing the Japanese code of honor, flaunt their nuclear power, and to avenge their fallen brethren during Pearl Harbor.




There was quiet among the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki until an enormous echo embraced the cities as they were engulfed in a mushroom-like cloud that resounded in ultimate annihilation. After Hitler’s occupation of Poland after disobeying the Munich Pact, World War II was under way. About a decade later the Americas were in an all out battle with the Pacific. The Allied Powers were to meet in a conference in August of 1945 to discuss how the war would be handled after the deaths of FDR and Churchill. In the Potsdam Conference, the allies forced surrenders among the Japanese people. They had complete jurisdiction to undertake any militaristic measure after they attempted a truce with the people of Japan. With the Japanese becoming a grand imperialistic power, the United States had no other choice but to end the war with the Pacific as quickly as possible. A think tank including indirectly the great minds of both Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi were constructing the greatest weapon ever created, on the face of the Earth. President Truman’s duty as president during wartime is not to save enemy lives but to end them, in order to end a war.




Yes, the Japanese had a both weak and feeble military, but they had no one to blame but themselves. Having weak military “secret” military codes, compared to the Americans made it extremely easy, to obtain hidden Japanese military strategies. They were just enlarging the hole in their political and militaristic blind spot with every step they took. In addition to their already weak wartime strategies, the Japanese were a proud people that believed in extreme nationalism and would do anything for their country. Japanese suicide pilots known as kamikazes in showcasing their hara-kiri for their emperor were decreasing the numbers of both American and Japanese pilots with every bomb-laden crash they endured. There may have been no other way in destroying the Japanese other than an atomic bomb when they were willing to do anything during wartime. Truman did what any great president would do; attempt to save any American lives, by any means




By the start of the World War II, the Germans and Russians had sought to have the early beginnings of nuclear technology. If America was to stay a world power during the mid-1900s, they had to make sure another war like World War II wouldn’t spark, leaving them un-prepared. The dropping of the atomic bomb can be seen as a means to stop the war, but can also be looked at as demonstrating their nuclear prowess. The dropping of the bomb produced a delay in the Americans destroying Hitler’s regimen did create future tensions between Russia and America, which can be seen as the beginning of the Cold War. The atomic bomb left many citizens of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki crippled financially and some physically-altered. With the Great Depression at a close, President Truman was looking to make sure many of the things that happened to Japan after the dropping of the bomb did not happen to the United States by a growing imperialistic nation such as Germany.




Pearl Harbor had awakened the American psyche and it was human nature at that point, to seek revenge. Pearl Harbor had witnessed the deaths of thousands and Truman saw the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as not only an opportunity to end the war but to seek revenge on the small imperialistic nation. The United States of America was justified in bombing the Japanese, as justified as the Japanese were in bombing Pearl Harbor. The bombing of Pearl Harbor had created an ultimatum geared toward the Axis Powers, there was a world power being un-sheathed and a nation was to be sacrificed in order to save another.




The United States of America was indeed justified in dropping an atomic bomb on Japan in order to increase global world relations. Domestic affairs were put aside as the Japanese military bombed one of America’s military bases in Hawaii. Foreign Policies were the main cause of World War II and would be a main cause in ending it. The United States of America had passed their first test in decision-making, in order to become the great world power it is today and in the process saved many of American lives because the Japanese would not easily surrender.

The Great Depression’s Effect on America’s Social Fabric

A black blizzard had engulfed the people of America, destroying homes, businesses, and ideas. No it was not the Dust Bowl but the huge threat that was the Great Depression. Ironically the rich that had influenced the Depression were not affected as harshly as the middle class working people of America. The American Dream had been thwarted in just a day, Black Tuesday (October 24, 1929) and the busload of conservative presidents with their laissez -faire attitudes and economic policies looked upon the people to dig themselves out of their financial situations. The cause of the Great Depression had to be due to the lop-sided distribution of wealth among the wealthier class. With an already unstable social system, one falsity in the system could thoroughly affect the American people. Such acts as the Haley-Smoot Tariff (1930) and Fordney-McCumber Tariffs (1922) created surpluses among American businesses making it pivotal to the producer that the consumer bought in bulk. The variable that the executive branch precariously overlooked was how could the consumer consume goods that were entirely out of their budget? But was the damage too great in number for the American people to get back on their feet? What it took was a president that was brave enough to evoke another progressive era known as his New Deal. The Great Depression’s effect on America’s social fabric was drastic with an increase in unemployment rates, economic farm losses, destruction of families, and a transformation from laissez-faire politics.



The years subsequent to the roaring twenties, the nation was done with its social revolution and was ready to dodge yet another pitfall. Monumental to America’s history during the Great Depression, 25% of the nation’s population was unemployed. Unlike other years the lower class could not be blamed for their unemployment due to laziness, but because of the lack of job opportunities. Republican presidents during the early twentieth century had not picked up on this and did little to assist in plucking the thorn out of the side of the American people. Such presidents as Herbert Hoover believed in a policy of voluntarism, but it came down to the fact that there were scarcely any establishments to commit to! Social maladies such as hunger and depression increased significantly. Without the progressive-minded leaders of yore to aid, the American people had to survive the first couple of years of the Depression alone and without a leader. Most businesses were firing and not hiring, while trying to clean up the mess the executive branch and caused.



The hardest hit section of the American social fabric had to be farmers. A precursor to the famer depression was the Dust Bowl of 1933. Farmers and tenants were asked to survive fluctuating wholesale prices while still trying to make a living. Along with textile factories and coal mines, agriculture departments were both constantly and unremittingly depressed. Farmers’ income had declined from $5.7 billion in 1929 to $1.7 billion the following decade. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins helped to establish the Agricultural Adjustment Agency (AAA) which assisted the farmers in reducing their crop surpluses which would raise farmer incomes nation wide. After the AAA was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the case Butler vs. United States (1936) American farmers became accustomed to their poverty stricken lifestyle and began to make it work for them in the form of labor unions. The American Federal Labor and The National Industrial Recovery Association had the same cause to decrease the unemployment rate and tackle fluctuating farming rates.



A lack of financial support could ruin any family, but to imagine that every family in America struggled in some way financially can be linked to the destruction of the idea of the “perfect household”. The increase in unemployment and increase in depression put the average family on edge, as if awaiting the arrival of the “pink slip”. With the inauguration of the twenty first amendment (February 20, 1933) the common thing to turn to was not ones family, but the simple caress that a case of alcohol provided. Like the enactment of prohibition ushered in the age of gangsters and bootleggers, the repeal of the eighteenth amendment ushered in the age of the disgruntled family.



The idea of laissez-faire, whatever will be, will be and one only gets what one deserves began to alter during the early 1930’s. The Great Depression made government realize that everyone suffers no matter who you are. In an attempt to fix the damages the wealthier class had dealt, many alphabetic reform agencies sprang up from the dusts to relieve the pain of the nation. Such agencies as the Home Owners’ Refinancing Agency (1933) and Securities and Exchange Commission (1934) attempted to ease the worker back into the workplace and ensure that a crisis like this never was to take place again. The Great Depression had also influenced the induction of social security which we as Americans still use to this day. The Depression did its part in changing the concept of Social Darwinism and developing the theory of a Democratic watchdog over Republican policies.



The Great Depression’s effect on America’s social fabric was louder than a bomb. The 1930’s paid homage to the death of the flapper girl and the birth of the depressed and unemployed gentleman. The Great Depression created a sort of political resurgence that would directly affect the American people than anything before it. The underlying causes of the widespread unemployment rates and peeved workers could be contributed to a do nothing government. The Great Depression was the wakeup call from the slumber that was the “Roaring Twenties” to prepare for the battle that was to come, WW2.

The 1920's Represented Social, Economic, and Cultural Discord among the Citizens of America

The early twentieth century “The Roaring Twenties” was a complete rebirth in cultural novelty for the people of America. Various minorities in the United States of America were able to achieve extreme success. The strides Women and African-Americans made during the early 1900’s were drastic, and still live on to this day. The Harlem Renaissance presented Blacks with their first of many opportunities to contribute to modern-day society. As Langston Hughes states in his essay “When Blacks were in Vogue” Blacks were looked at as “animals in a zoo” they were able to take that first step to greatness. Women on the other hand made one of the greatest achievements a group during that time could possible obtain. The nineteenth amendment (the right to vote) that women had been fighting for, for the last three decades had finally come to fruition. This major surge in cultural alteration did not come without its own drawbacks. Tensions rose between radicals and trade unions and even within the doors of the White House! Before the death of Warren G. Harding, this change within the American borders had lured some of Hardin’s cabinet into corruption. The 1920’s represented social, economic, and cultural discord among Americans via the red scare, wide-spread immigration debate, how religion should be taught, and mass consumerism.



The years following WW1, the nation was geared and ready for the next world war. During the 1920’s the prequel to WW2, the red scare embraced America with full force. It all started with a bomb outside of the Attorney general Palmer’s abode. This massive disruption was blamed on the communists trying to invade American borders. Trying to stop another world war, the government took extreme offense in trying to eliminate the foreign threat. Most of the laws passed by the government of the United States violated the First Amendment outright. This action in turn completely devastated the cultural changes the American people had worked so hard to enact. Most of the changes brought forth by the American people during the 20’s, the American government set out to erase. With every one decent contribution made to American society there is always going to be someone who does not want change, and that’s just what the red scare represented.



The American Dream had brought people to America every since the days of Tammany Hall and the 1920’s was no different. The rush in immigrants did not sit well with the bulk of America. Although immigrants brought grand contributions to American society, many natives decided to stop the threat once and for all. Some believed they were just taking their jobs, while others thought it was just another reincarnation of the communist threat. The contributions the 20’s had made to society were again squashed by extreme nativist sentiment. Literacy Tests and Immigration Acts were just some of the attempts by the federal government to continue its white-wash of America. The citizens of America were not willing to stand by and watch as the corporate swindlers did their dirty work. The American people formed groups such as the KKK and “The Hundred Percenters” to make the government’s job rather easy. The White House seemed to stand idle on both fronts, as the 1920’s dissension influenced their better judgment.



“Man evolve from monkeys, say it isn’t so?” was the phrase on the tip of every lip as teachers across America began to teach science where religious values once inhabited and vice versa. Although citizens during the 20’s could fathom the drastic change in artistic style and Black genius, they could not see this come to execution. This case was so controversial that it reached the Supreme Court in “the Scopes Monkey Trial”. Even though there are countless amounts of scientific proof, to this day this topic is still controversial.



The economic influence by the 1920’s came in full force, as the depression reared its ugly head. The unequal distribution of wealth, underconsumption, and various other consumer actions had not yet come as American citizens flooded the markets with their wallets in tow. The automobile and radio were some of the items spurred by America’s dramatic fluctuation in creativity. This spending spree however was not without its ramifications. Debt had engulfed the once great country and would soon become what people really remembered about the “Roaring Twenties”.



The 1920’s represented social, economic, and cultural discord as a result of many joint actions by the government and its people. Today’s current society is destined to be what the 1920’s had made of itself. Not only because history repeats itself, but because this technological renaissance will spark ideas and cast aside other ones, thus creating its own cultural turmoil. Many of the things American’s relied on, religion, consumer protection, and the right to be American was being stripped away during the 1920’s. The 20’s might have been America’s final breath of air as it plummeted head-first into the behemoth that was the Great Depression.

The United States of America Neutrality During World War 1

During the early twentieth century, the world witnessed a massive revival of technology and political thought. This uproar was not caused by a person or by any president, but by the assassination of the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne by a Serb nationalist. Turmoil spewed into not just a local scrimmage, but a world war. World War 1 was the first war in the world to utilize modernized weaponry such as mustard gas, submarines, and other new technologies. The two combating powers known as the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire) and the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and Japan) squared off for a 4 year battle on much of the Eastern Hemisphere. The United States were soon looked at as the odd-balls of war. Neglecting to pick a side until early 1917, most members of the Central Alliance would risk anything to make sure the Untied States of America did not get involved in one of the greatest wars mankind has every witnesses. The Central Powers tried political tactics like, the Zimmerman Note and even social means like, unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany. When Word War 1 broke out, the United States was neutral at the start, but was pulled into the conflict by a surge in imperialism, the threat of losing an economic relationship with the Allies, and public nationalism.



The gush of imperialism for the American government had been plaguing its survival ever sense the late nineteenth century. With the induction of Woodrow Wilson and the beginning of World War 1, it was his duty to fight for the well being of other countries to preserve democracy. Democracy through the eyes of Wilson’s fourteen points was the ability for the world to have open seas. As seen in, (Doc. I) Germany had begun the opposite as its military might or “Python” had halted America’s missionary work. The Americans had stayed neutral up to that point, avoiding international turmoil altogether, but when the actions of other countries started to make short work of American imperialism, Wilson had to make a choice. “Neutrality depends on citizens” (Doc. A). Showed that Wilson’s next move did not only depend on the actions of neighboring countries but the neighbors within his own boundaries, the citizens of the United States of America. The vessels that had crossed Germany’s waters were being destroyed and devastated even with regard to the Sussex pledge and Gore-Mclemore Resolution. “Only one course action” (Doc. G), which for Woodrow Wilson meant siding with the allies during World War 1.



Wilson had passed America’s first test, if he would rally with public opinion but now a new challenge was developing along the horizon. These challenges however made his decision much easier. Allied forces including Britain were attempting to keep American ships out of the German line of sight (Doc. C). Even if Wilson decided with neutrality he would leave with the guilt that if he had entered war. With international power-houses on his side the war would quickly be resolved. Germany were doing nothing but toying with the Americans to eliminate them as political competition during the war (Doc. E). American ships were being sunk by the Germans including that of the Lusitania, which proved to be carrying contraband to the Allied forces, (Doc. F). The American people had dodged the political bullet, but the economic one was in quick pursuit.



Wilson in some respects was never neutral in his approach. The Germans had discovered that Wilson and his men were supplying Allied forces with surplus goods since the get-go (Doc. D). The War Industries, Food Administration, and the War Labor boards had already made up America’s mind to enter the war on the side of the Allies. Siding with anything but the Allies would have severed all economic ties with the Easter hemisphere sending America back into the Dark Ages. It seemed like Wilson would have to embrace the imperialist ideals of his predecessors and fight the good fight, to secure democracy for everyone.



George Creel and his Committee of Public Opinion had opened his people’s eyes to the demoralizing affects of what being a Germany supporter meant. He in addition to Congress assisted in developing media of all shapes and sizes from posters, to movies, and slogans to help Wilson’s decision a little bit easier still. Nationalism had indeed been a prime cause of the start of World War 1, how could it not influence American involvement in the war as well? “How come neutrality” (Doc. B.), was the phrase on everyone’s mind as the 3rd year of the war drew closer. The Pro-British and Anti-German American demeanor persuaded Wilson to declare war on the Central powers on April 4th, 1917. With his decision Wilson ceased to promote “U.S.A. neutral” (Doc. H), as the United States of America entered the war to end all wars.



During World War 1 the United States was neutral at the start but was persuaded to enter the conflict for a couple of reasons. America had strong roots with neighboring British allies and strong economic ties as well. Their once hated enemy could have been their main reason for abandoning their once loved idea of neutrality. Wilson’s universal cooperation could have also been to blame. No matter the immediate cause, the Americans had helped when a war in which Adolf Hitler was involved and would strike again to avenge his Nazi brethren.

Which Progressive President was the “best” at Reforming Society?

The Progressive Era was essentially a cry for help, from the working class people of America. It was the time for a dramatic upheaval in political and economic democracy. Three brave men had the tenacity to take this concept under their wings and transform American life for the better. Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson each had differing policies on reform and progressivism. Taft although being elected under progressive ideals was engulfed in the conservative way of life. Wilson on the other hand had a thorough plan for progressivism, but would be crushed by the evident calls of WW1. Roosevelt on the other hand proved to be the “common man”. He was able to embrace the idea of progressivism influenced by the “muckrakers” and cater to his conservative counterparts as well. Roosevelt was the ultimate progressive president because he could relate to the American struggle and at the same time knew when too much progressivism would cap America’s chance for success. Of the three progressive presidents, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the best at reforming society between 1900 and 1920 by his Square Deal policy, Northern Securities suits, regulation of railroads, and worker compensation plan.


Coming into the presidency after the death of McKinley, Roosevelt had very little of a plan. Putting himself in the shoes of the citizens of America he soon found out that foreign policies that geared toward imperialism would not achieve his goal, it was time for a change. Enacting his Square Deal policy Roosevelt fought to protect and improve control of corporations, consumer protection rights, and conservation betterment. Unlike Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson abandoned Roosevelt’s conservation ideals. Taft even fired Gifford Pinchot, Roosevelt’s chief conservation advisor. His deal was put in place to make everything “fair and square” but even the best of plans have its flaws. His square deal was to blame for such disturbances as the Panic of 1907 and the Triangle Shirtwaist company fire. Society reacting to such turbulence completely embraced progressivism and being a president for the people, so did Roosevelt. Helping pass such acts as the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, Roosevelt truly cared about the common man.


Roosevelt had passed America’s social test of morals but with a lagging American economic his next test was not far behind. The progressive movement had sprung from union beliefs and was constantly trying to make the American market place both fair and just. Monopolies crowded the American consumer sphere and it was the president’s job to clean it up. Northern Securities was exactly the case Roosevelt needed to improve his status as the progressive president. Although he dissolved many monopolies in his day, Taft achieved almost double that amount and still became disowned by his political colleagues. Roosevelt’s anti-trust suits may have been less than that of Taft’s but the fact was, he was the first President to ever attempt to side with American workers. This would not only prove beneficial to workers but in the long run “big business” as well.


Although Woodrow Wilson passed a revolutionary Clayton Anti-Trust Act which in turn would replace the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, he was still eons behind Roosevelt. Roosevelt in an effort to curb worker and consumer attitudes about the workplace passed the Elkins Act of 1903 and the Hepburn Act of 1906. These rights of passage did what presidents were trying to do during the early 1800’s, heal the leftover wounds the Industrial Revolution had left behind. Roosevelt used progressivism as a tool to change his society and in retrospect, changed history as well. Woodrow and Taft had virtual nothing to do when it came to railroads because the citizens had spoken, and Roosevelt had acted.


The cause of the progressive movement was to cease corruption in the American workplace and in the earlier 1900’s it was deeply needed. Decades earlier scenes that resembled New York Five Point’s district was exactly what Americans had to deal with on a daily basis. All of the conservation necessities including the Carey land Act and the Newlands Reclamation Act in the Untied States would not keep a crook from becoming a thief. Accorded to the presidencies of Woodrow Wilson and William Taft they could remain as such, what was needed was a progressive touch. Roosevelt saw possible votes being mistreated and neglected in the workplaces; it was time for a change. As seen in the Anthracite coal strike dilemma, Roosevelt sided with the little guy, the workers and forced the company to recognize the union’s struggle and hardships. The “little bull moose” that could succeed in being one of the most progressive motivated presidents of the United States of America.



The differences and similarities of the major three Progressive presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and William Howard Taft were immense. Roosevelt’s progressive legacies drastically surpassed the efforts put in place by the triple wall of privilege and the dollar diplomacy. Roosevelt became the voice of the people as he was able to balance political, social, and economic progressive principles to mold a nation. Although such presidents as Taft surpassed Roosevelt economically, he was the only man to bring about the greatest political and economic change. He built Forest Preserves, fought against the “big business”, and stood up for what he believed in, Roosevelt was really the voice of a new generation.



Extra Credit
Hetch Hetchy Valley is a humongous basin in Yosemite National Park that at one point and time was almost filled by a reservoir! Many protestors including John Muir and the Sierra club lead conservation protests against the eminent doom. President Woodrow Wilson and congress passed the Raker Act of 1913, allowing San Francisco to build the dam and reservoir, drowning this beautiful valley of lost hopes and dreams. This was the first time that Roosevelt conservation philosophy had been desecrated… and it wouldn’t be the last.

Was Economics the Primary Factor for the U.S. to Adopt a Policy of Imperialism?

Is it really about money or is it about something more? The driving theories of Rosa Luxemburg, Joseph Schumpeter and John Hobson introduced the idea of expanding for the development of new markets in new locations, known as imperialism. Imperialism is the idea of extending one’s rule or sphere of influence toward another nation or foreign country. Whatever the motive was, the United States of America following the decades after the Industrial Revolution managed to do just that. Although many America citizens opposed the idea, the destiny weavers in the federal government did what they thought was best for it’s citizens. The first spark produced via the idea of imperialism was the Spanish-American War. Spain’s treatment of Cuba had forced the United States to intervene with ferocious force. There were many other factors that encouraged the Spanish-American War including the DeLome Letter and the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine but, America’s longing for power was what exclusively led to this “un-necessary” war. The Civil War and the Industrial Revolution had drastically changed America’s thought of how to deal with foreign affairs from passive to extremely brutal. The primary factors in the United States adopting a policy of imperialism were both economic and social due to, religious advocacy, expansion of the American population, Social Darwinism, and reduction of conflicts within American borders.



Most American’s viewed imperialism as a way to save “foreign heathens” from the hell that they thought was inevitable. All throughout history many explorers used religion as a reason for their adventures. To Christianize the people of the world was a façade for the real reason, to expand the nation’s economy. No other reason could be credited to the fact that, more land equals more capital. An imperialist policy would in the end, dig America out of the financial hole it had been in for the last decade. If America unsheathed their true motives, foreign nations would become skeptical before they submitted their fate to an unfamiliar nation. Missionary validation thusly became the genuine reason for an imperialist policy.



When liberating Christian souls from evil, America would in the end expand their world empire. As best seen in America’s treatment of Hawaii, America would do anything to get what it wanted. The symbol of anti-imperialism, Queen Liliuokalani resisted and attempted to knock Hawaii out of America’s grasp. Seething the Hawaii’s economic powerhouse, sugar, America had begun its longing for an imperialist way of life. In some ways the American government used God to validate the reason or fattening their pockets. With the signage of the Treaty of Paris and America’s persistence, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines became America’s first legal immigrants. The new American citizens not only created tensions among native American people, but tremendously boosted America’s economy. In the end America had this plan in mind the whole time, risking foreign lives for the benefit of our country.



In some ways, social theories were the driving force behind many of America’s imperialist intuition. The United States believed that since they had survived an American Revolution and a Civil War they were superior to the nations that had existed some thousand years prior to its colonization. As of the theory of Manifest destiny, it was America’s duty to become the sole world power. The true citizen of the Republic values that Americans had relied on so heavily prior to the Civil War had been reborn into the idea of Social Darwinism in terms of imperialism. As the in the case of many nations, victory can earn one a cocky persona if an entire nation is there to back it up. Morals had skyrocketed due to America’s recent triumphs which would in turn be both a good and very bad thing.



The trade union dilemma previous to U.S. foreign affairs had badly wounded America’s acceptance of foreigners. Immigrants had stirred trouble with the local citizens and to this day, the federal government are still trying figure out an easy solution. Many foreign countries becoming American territories had eased some of the bruises caused by earlier judgment. Immigrants not only helped improve social relations in America but set a model for other nations on how to stir a lifetime of foreign problems. Ramifications of the victory of the Spanish-American War were many loose political ends to tie up, whether it be when a nation would be granted citizenship and how often America would get involved in its territories affairs. America’s imperialist policy had been derived for social means but ended up being all about the money.


The prime factor in the United States of America adopting a policy of imperialism was both economic and social. America used religious justifications as a means to establish that they were disturbing the daily routines of other nations to save them from the lives they live. But, what America really wanted to accomplish was a boost in its economy. This boost would come about by more workers and a happy work force. Not all turned out the way they were planned, because un-requested war plagued the economy and in some ways put the nation farther behind, when it comes to becoming a world power. America might have been influenced by social means, but wealth is what separates the weak nations from the strong nations.