Crash Course Us History Progressive Presidents

Crash Course U.S. History: Progressive Presidents – A Deep Dive

Introduction:

Ever felt overwhelmed trying to untangle the complexities of the Progressive Era in American history? Crash Course videos are great for a quick overview, but sometimes you need a deeper dive. This comprehensive guide will dissect the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson – the key figures who shaped the Progressive Era – providing a nuanced understanding beyond the typical textbook summaries. We’ll explore their policies, their successes, their failures, and their lasting impact on the American political landscape. Prepare to gain a richer, more insightful understanding of this pivotal period in U.S. history, going beyond the quick summaries and into the granular detail necessary for a true grasp of the era.

I. Theodore Roosevelt: The Trust-Buster and Conservationist

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, embodied the spirit of progressivism. His "Square Deal" aimed for fairness and equal opportunity, tackling the powerful monopolies and corporations of the Gilded Age.

Trust-Busting: Roosevelt wasn’t against big business, but he believed in regulating monopolies to prevent unfair practices. He pursued antitrust lawsuits against major corporations like Northern Securities, demonstrating a willingness to challenge established power structures. This action established a precedent for government intervention in the economy, shaping future antitrust legislation. Understanding the nuances of his approach is crucial to grasping the complexities of progressive regulation.

Conservation: Roosevelt was a passionate conservationist, recognizing the importance of preserving America's natural resources. He established numerous national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, leaving a lasting legacy on environmental protection. His actions, motivated by both conservationist ideals and a pragmatic understanding of resource management, laid the groundwork for modern environmental policy.

Foreign Policy: Roosevelt’s "Big Stick Diplomacy" – a blend of military strength and diplomatic negotiation – shaped U.S. foreign policy. The construction of the Panama Canal exemplified his willingness to use American power to achieve strategic goals. Exploring this aspect reveals the complexities of his presidency and the ways in which domestic progressive ideals intersected with global power dynamics.

II. William Howard Taft: A Progressive's Paradox

Taft, Roosevelt’s handpicked successor, presented a more complex picture of progressivism. While he continued some of Roosevelt's policies, his approach and priorities differed significantly.

Antitrust Actions: Taft actually surpassed Roosevelt in the number of antitrust lawsuits filed, showcasing a commitment to regulating corporate power. However, his prosecution of U.S. Steel, a company Roosevelt had previously considered, created a deep rift with his predecessor and fueled internal conflicts within the Republican Party.

Tariff Reform: Taft’s support for the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, which raised tariffs on many goods, disappointed progressives who advocated for lower tariffs. This highlighted the internal divisions within the progressive movement and the complexities of enacting progressive reforms within a politically diverse environment.

Conservation vs. Development: While Taft continued some conservation efforts, his approach sometimes clashed with environmental protection. His approval of large-scale resource extraction projects led to conflicts with conservationists and highlighted the tension between economic development and environmental stewardship within the progressive movement. This underscores the complexities of balancing competing interests within a progressive framework.

III. Woodrow Wilson: The Idealist and Reformer

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president, brought his own unique brand of progressivism to the White House. His "New Freedom" platform focused on restoring free competition and reducing the power of big businesses.

The Federal Reserve Act: This landmark legislation created the Federal Reserve System, providing a more stable and flexible banking system. It was a crucial step in regulating the financial sector and preventing future economic crises.

Clayton Antitrust Act: The Clayton Antitrust Act strengthened existing antitrust laws, clarifying what constituted monopolistic practices and providing greater protection for labor unions.

The Underwood Tariff: Wilson successfully lowered tariffs, fulfilling a key promise of his campaign and boosting competition. This demonstrates his commitment to free-market principles within a regulated framework.


IV. Lasting Legacy: The Progressive Era's Impact

The presidencies of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson left an indelible mark on American society. Their progressive policies, despite internal conflicts and limitations, established precedents for government regulation, social welfare programs, and environmental protection. The progressive era's legacy continues to shape debates about the role of government, the balance between individual liberty and collective well-being, and the need for responsible stewardship of the environment. Understanding the complexities of these presidencies offers a critical lens to understanding the evolution of American governance and the ongoing struggle for social justice and economic equality.


Article Outline:

I. Introduction: Hook, overview of the article's content.
II. Theodore Roosevelt: Trust-busting, conservation, foreign policy.
III. William Howard Taft: Antitrust actions, tariff reform, conservation vs. development.
IV. Woodrow Wilson: Federal Reserve Act, Clayton Antitrust Act, Underwood Tariff.
V. Lasting Legacy: Impact of the Progressive Era.
VI. Conclusion: Summary of key takeaways and lasting impact.


Article explaining each point of the outline: (The above sections fulfill this requirement.)


FAQs:

1. What is the Progressive Era? The Progressive Era (roughly 1890s-1920s) was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States.
2. What were the main goals of Progressive presidents? Their main goals included regulating big business, protecting consumers and workers, improving working conditions, promoting conservation, and reforming government.
3. How did Roosevelt's trust-busting differ from Taft's? While both targeted monopolies, Roosevelt focused on regulating rather than eliminating big business, whereas Taft's aggressive prosecutions led to internal conflicts.
4. What was the significance of the Federal Reserve Act? It created a centralized banking system, providing greater stability and control over the national economy.
5. What were the key differences between Roosevelt's and Wilson's approaches to progressivism? Roosevelt focused on regulation within a capitalist framework, while Wilson aimed for a more competitive free market.
6. How did the Progressive Era impact the environment? Roosevelt's conservation efforts led to the establishment of national parks and conservation policies, impacting environmental protection for generations.
7. What were the limits of Progressive reforms? Many reforms faced opposition from powerful interests and did not fully address issues like racial inequality.
8. What is the lasting legacy of the Progressive presidents? They established precedents for government regulation, social welfare, and environmental protection, fundamentally altering the relationship between the government and the American people.
9. How did the Progressive Era influence subsequent political movements? The Progressive Era influenced later movements for social justice, consumer protection, and environmentalism, establishing the groundwork for significant governmental oversight.


Related Articles:

1. The Rise of Progressivism in America: An overview of the social and economic factors that fueled the Progressive movement.
2. Muckrakers and the Progressive Era: Explores the role of investigative journalists in exposing social ills and driving reform.
3. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and Labor Reform: Details the impact of this tragedy on labor laws and worker safety.
4. Women's Suffrage and the Progressive Era: Discusses the fight for women's right to vote and its connection to broader progressive goals.
5. The Impact of the Progressive Era on American Politics: Analyzes the lasting changes to the political landscape.
6. Comparing and Contrasting the Progressive Presidents: A detailed comparison of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson's approaches to progressivism.
7. The Sherman Antitrust Act and its Evolution: Traces the history of antitrust law and its role in regulating big business.
8. Theodore Roosevelt's Conservation Legacy: A deep dive into Roosevelt's environmental achievements and their lasting impact.
9. Woodrow Wilson's Foreign Policy and the Progressive Era: Explores the intersection of Wilson's domestic progressive ideals with his international policies.


  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Gilded Age Mark Twain, Charles Dudley Warner, 1892
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Disunited States of America Harry Turtledove, 2013-10-02 Justin's having the worst trip ever. He and his mother are Time Traders, traveling undercover to different alternate realities of Earth so they can take valuable resources back to their own timeline. In some of these worlds, Germany won World War I or the world has been destroyed by nuclear warfare. Justin and his mother are in an America that never became the United States: each state is like a country, and many of them are at war with one another. Their mission takes them to Virginia, which is on the verge of bloody violence with Ohio. Beckie is from California and, like the rest of her world, is unaware that Time Traders exist. The only reason she's in small-town Virginia is because her grandmother dragged her there to visit old relatives. Beckie is just as horrified by the violence and racism of the alternate Virginia as Justin is, and the two are drawn to each other. But when full-fledged war breaks out between Ohio and Virginia, including a biologically designed plague, will either of them manage to get back home? Forget about home: will they make it out alive?
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Citizenship in a Republic Theodore Roosevelt, 2022-05-29 Citizenship in a Republic is the title of a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910. One notable passage from the speech is referred to as The Man in the Arena: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Drift and Mastery Walter Lippmann, 1985 Drift and Mastery, originally published in 1914, is one of the most important and influential documents of the Progressive Movement, a valuable text for understanding the political thought of early twentieth-century America. This paperback edition of Walter Lippmann's classic work includes a revised introduction by William E. Leuchtenburg that places the book in its historical and political contexts. In his first book, A Preface to Politics, Lippmann was sharply critical of traditionalism in favor of creativity—so much so that he was accused of anti-intellectualism. In Drift and Mastery, he corrected this imbalance, exploring the tensions between expansion and consolidation, traditionalism an progressivism, emotion and rationality. He wrote to convince readers that they could balance these tensions: they could be organized, efficient, and functional without sacrificing impulse, choice, fantasy, or liberty. Mastery is attainable, Lippmann argued, but scientific endeavor is driven by human curiosity and creativity—an argument in favor of science as both a method as both a method for discovering the truth and a means of wish fulfillment through diligent attention to facts. Drift and Mastery is both a telling product of its times and a lucid exploration of timeless themes in American government and politics. It will continue to serve new generations of scholars and students in American intellectual history, mass communications, and political science.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: U.S. History P. Scott Corbett, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, Sylvie Waskiewicz, Paul Vickery, 2024-09-10 U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: AP® U.S. History Crash Course Book + Online Larry Krieger, 2017-02-28 AP® U.S. History Crash Course® A Higher Score in Less Time! 4th Edition - Fully Aligned with the Latest Exam Framework REA's AP® U.S. History Crash Course® is the top choice for the last-minute studier or any APUSH student who wants a quick refresher on the course. Are you crunched for time? Have you started studying for your Advanced Placement® U.S. History exam yet? How will you memorize everything you need to know before the test? Do you wish there was a fast and easy way to study for the exam AND boost your score? If this sounds like you, don't panic. REA's Crash Course for AP® U.S. History is just what you need. Our Crash Course gives you: Targeted, Focused Review - Study Only What You Need to Know Our all-new fourth edition addresses all the latest test revisions which took effect in 2016, including the full range of special AP® question types, including comparison, causation, patterns of continuity, and synthesis prompts (which require test-takers to make connections between historical periods, issues, and themes).
  crash course us history progressive presidents: AP® U.S. History Crash Course, 4th Ed., Book + Online Larry Krieger, 2017-01-11 Publisher’s Note: For updates to the first printing of the 4th edition of REA’s Crash Course® for AP® United States History, please visit www.rea.com/apush2018update AP® U.S. History Crash Course® –A Higher Score in Less Time! 4th Edition – Fully Aligned with the Latest Exam Framework REA's AP® U.S. History Crash Course® is the top choice for the last-minute studier or any APUSH student who wants a quick refresher on the course. Are you crunched for time? Have you started studying for your Advanced Placement® U.S. History exam yet? Do you wish there was a fast and effective way to study for the exam and boost your score? If this sounds like you, don’t panic. REA’s Crash Course® for AP® U.S. History is just what you need. Go with America’s No. 1 quick-review prep for AP® exams to get these outstanding features: Targeted, Focused Review – Study Only What You Need to Know REA’s all-new 4th edition addresses all the latest test revisions taking effect through 2018. The book covers the full range of AP® history reasoning skills (formerly described by the College Board as historical thinking skills), including “contextualization,” “comparison,” “causation,” and “continuity and change over time,” which requires test-takers to be conversant in patterns across American history. Our Crash Course® review is based on an in-depth analysis of the revised AP® U.S. History course description outline and sample AP® test questions. We cover only the information tested on the exam, so you can make the most of your valuable study time. Expert Test-taking Strategies and Advice Written and researched by Larry Krieger, America’s best known and most trusted AP® U.S. History expert, the book gives you the topics and critical context that will matter most on exam day. Crash Course® relies on the author’s extensive, strategic analysis of the test’s structure and content. The author presents detailed, question-level strategies for answering all APUSH question types. By following his advice, you can boost your score in every section of the test. Are You Ready for Test Day? Take REA's Online Practice Exam After studying the Crash Course®, go to the online REA Study Center to reinforce what you’ve learned with a format-true full-length practice test. Our practice exam features timed testing, detailed explanations of answers, and automatic diagnostic scoring that pinpoints what you know and what you don’t. We give you balanced coverage of every topic and type of question found on the actual AP® U.S. History exam, so you can be sure you’re studying smart. Whether you’re using the book as a refresher in the final weeks before the exam, looking for a great way to stay on track in your AP® class throughout the school year, or want to bolster your prep for the exam with proven score-raising techniques, Crash Course® is the quick-review study guide every AP® U.S. History student should have. When it’s crunch time and your Advanced Placement® exam is just around the corner, you need REA’s Crash Course® for AP® U.S. History!
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Obama's Challenge Robert Kuttner, 2008 Invoking America's greatest leaders, Robert Kuttner explains how Obama must be a transformative president--or a failed one--a president who must succeed in fundamentally changing our economy, society, and democracy for the better.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The American President William E. Leuchtenburg, 2015-11-19 The American President is an enthralling account of American presidential actions from the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 to Bill Clinton's last night in office in January 2001. William Leuchtenburg, one of the great presidential historians of the century, portrays each of the presidents in a chronicle sparkling with anecdote and wit. Leuchtenburg offers a nuanced assessment of their conduct in office, preoccupations, and temperament. His book presents countless moments of high drama: FDR hurling defiance at the economic royalists who exploited the poor; ratcheting tension for JFK as Soviet vessels approach an American naval blockade; a grievously wounded Reagan joking with nurses while fighting for his life. This book charts the enormous growth of presidential power from its lowly state in the late nineteenth century to the imperial presidency of the twentieth. That striking change was manifested both at home in periods of progressive reform and abroad, notably in two world wars, Vietnam, and the war on terror. Leuchtenburg sheds light on presidents battling with contradictory forces. Caught between maintaining their reputation and executing their goals, many practiced deceits that shape their image today. But he also reveals how the country's leaders pulled off magnificent achievements worthy of the nation's pride.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Contract with America Newt Gingrich, Richard K. Armey, 1994 The November 1994 midterm elections were a watershed event, making possible a Repbulican majority in Congress for the first time in forty years. Contract with America, by Newt Gingrich, the new Speaker of the House, Dick Armey, the new Majority Leader, and the House Republicans, charts a bold new political strategy for the entire country. The ten-point program, which forms the basis of this book, was announced in late September. It received the signed support of more than 300 GOP canditates. Their pledge: If we break this contract, throw us out. Contract with America fleshes out the vision and provides the details of the program that swept the GOP to victory. Among the pressing issues addressed in this important book are: balancing the budget, stopping crime, reforming welfare, reinforcing families, enhancing fairness for seniors, strengthening national defense, cutting government regulations, promoting legal reform, considering term limits, and reducing taxes.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Learn about the United States U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2009 Learn About the United States is intended to help permanent residents gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government as they prepare to become citizens. The product presents 96 short lessons, based on the sample questions from which the civics portion of the naturalization test is drawn. An audio CD that allows students to listen to the questions, answers, and civics lessons read aloud is also included. For immigrants preparing to naturalize, the chance to learn more about the history and government of the United States will make their journey toward citizenship a more meaningful one.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: FDR's Folly Jim Powell, 2007-12-18 The Great Depression and the New Deal. For generations, the collective American consciousness has believed that the former ruined the country and the latter saved it. Endless praise has been heaped upon President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for masterfully reining in the Depression’s destructive effects and propping up the country on his New Deal platform. In fact, FDR has achieved mythical status in American history and is considered to be, along with Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents of all time. But would the Great Depression have been so catastrophic had the New Deal never been implemented? In FDR’s Folly, historian Jim Powell argues that it was in fact the New Deal itself, with its shortsighted programs, that deepened the Great Depression, swelled the federal government, and prevented the country from turning around quickly. You’ll discover in alarming detail how FDR’s federal programs hurt America more than helped it, with effects we still feel today, including: • How Social Security actually increased unemployment • How higher taxes undermined good businesses • How new labor laws threw people out of work • And much more This groundbreaking book pulls back the shroud of awe and the cloak of time enveloping FDR to prove convincingly how flawed his economic policies actually were, despite his good intentions and the astounding intellect of his circle of advisers. In today’s turbulent domestic and global environment, eerily similar to that of the 1930s, it’s more important than ever before to uncover and understand the truth of our history, lest we be doomed to repeat it.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: A Promised Land Barack Obama, 2024-08-13 A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND PEOPLE NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • NPR • The Guardian • Slate • Vox • The Economist • Marie Claire In the stirring first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil. Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office. Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden. A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible. This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Plot Against America Philip Roth, 2004-10-05 Philip Roth's bestselling alternate history—the chilling story of what happens to one family when America elects a charismatic, isolationist president—is soon to be an HBO limited series. In an extraordinary feat of narrative invention, Philip Roth imagines an alternate history where Franklin D. Roosevelt loses the 1940 presidential election to heroic aviator and rabid isolationist Charles A. Lindbergh. Shortly thereafter, Lindbergh negotiates a cordial “understanding” with Adolf Hitler, while the new government embarks on a program of folksy anti-Semitism. For one boy growing up in Newark, Lindbergh’s election is the first in a series of ruptures that threaten to destroy his small, safe corner of America–and with it, his mother, his father, and his older brother. A terrific political novel . . . Sinister, vivid, dreamlike . . . creepily plausible. . . You turn the pages, astonished and frightened.” — The New York Times Book Review
  crash course us history progressive presidents: AP® U.S. History Crash Course, For the 2020 Exam, Book + Online Larry Krieger, 2020-01-02 REA: the test prep AP teachers recommend.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Reconstruction Eric Foner, 2011-12-13 From the preeminent historian of Reconstruction (New York Times Book Review), a newly updated edition of the prize-winning classic work on the post-Civil War period which shaped modern America, with a new introduction from the author. Eric Foner's masterful treatment of one of the most complex periods of American history (New Republic) redefined how the post-Civil War period was viewed. Reconstruction chronicles the way in which Americans—black and white—responded to the unprecedented changes unleashed by the war and the end of slavery. It addresses the ways in which the emancipated slaves' quest for economic autonomy and equal citizenship shaped the political agenda of Reconstruction; the remodeling of Southern society and the place of planters, merchants, and small farmers within it; the evolution of racial attitudes and patterns of race relations; and the emergence of a national state possessing vastly expanded authority and committed, for a time, to the principle of equal rights for all Americans. This smart book of enormous strengths (Boston Globe) remains the standard work on the wrenching post-Civil War period—an era whose legacy still reverberates in the United States today.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Permanent Supportive Housing National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Policy and Global Affairs, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program, Committee on an Evaluation of Permanent Supportive Housing Programs for Homeless Individuals, 2018-08-11 Chronic homelessness is a highly complex social problem of national importance. The problem has elicited a variety of societal and public policy responses over the years, concomitant with fluctuations in the economy and changes in the demographics of and attitudes toward poor and disenfranchised citizens. In recent decades, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the philanthropic community have worked hard to develop and implement programs to solve the challenges of homelessness, and progress has been made. However, much more remains to be done. Importantly, the results of various efforts, and especially the efforts to reduce homelessness among veterans in recent years, have shown that the problem of homelessness can be successfully addressed. Although a number of programs have been developed to meet the needs of persons experiencing homelessness, this report focuses on one particular type of intervention: permanent supportive housing (PSH). Permanent Supportive Housing focuses on the impact of PSH on health care outcomes and its cost-effectiveness. The report also addresses policy and program barriers that affect the ability to bring the PSH and other housing models to scale to address housing and health care needs.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Jungle Upton Sinclair, 2024-06-18 The Jungle is a groundbreaking novel written by Upton Sinclair and published in 1906. The book is a powerful exploration of the harsh working conditions and social issues faced by immigrant workers in the Chicago stockyards during the early 20th century. The story follows the life of Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant, and his family as they struggle to survive in the harsh urban jungle of Chicago. The novel is a compelling work of historical fiction that provides a vivid portrayal of the social and economic conditions of the time. Sinclair's detailed descriptions of the meatpacking industry, including the brutal working conditions, lack of labor regulations, and the exploitation of immigrant workers, exposed the dark side of capitalism and the need for reform. One of the most notable aspects of The Jungle is its social and political commentary. Sinclair was a socialist, and the book reflects his political views, with the protagonist eventually embracing socialist ideals. The novel played a significant role in the progressive movement and helped to spur the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906. Despite its focus on social and political issues, The Jungle is also a compelling human drama. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the story is engaging and emotionally resonant. The novel explores themes of poverty, exploitation, and the struggle for survival in a harsh and unforgiving world. The Jungle is a powerful and important work of literature that shines a light on the social and economic issues of the early 20th century. The novel is a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, or social justice. Its enduring relevance and impact make it a classic of American literature.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Hour of Fate Susan Berfield, 2020-05-05 A riveting narrative of Wall Street buccaneering, political intrigue, and two of American history's most colossal characters, struggling for mastery in an era of social upheaval and rampant inequality. It seemed like no force in the world could slow J. P. Morgan's drive to power. In the summer of 1901, the financier was assembling his next mega-deal: Northern Securities, an enterprise that would affirm his dominance in America's most important industry-the railroads. Then, a bullet from an anarchist's gun put an end to the business-friendly presidency of William McKinley. A new chief executive bounded into office: Theodore Roosevelt. He was convinced that as big business got bigger, the government had to check the influence of the wealthiest or the country would inch ever closer to collapse. By March 1902, battle lines were drawn: the government sued Northern Securities for antitrust violations. But as the case ramped up, the coal miners' union went on strike and the anthracite pits that fueled Morgan's trains and heated the homes of Roosevelt's citizens went silent. With millions of dollars on the line, winter bearing down, and revolution in the air, it was a crisis that neither man alone could solve. Richly detailed and propulsively told, The Hour of Fate is the gripping story of a banker and a president thrown together in the crucible of national emergency even as they fought in court. The outcome of the strike and the case would change the course of our history. Today, as the country again asks whether saving democracy means taming capital, the lessons of Roosevelt and Morgan's time are more urgent than ever. Winner of the 2021 Theodore Roosevelt Association Book Prize Finalist for the Presidential Leadership Book Award
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Gilded Age Cato Charles W. Calhoun, 2014-07-15 Union general, federal judge, presidential contender, and cabinet officer—Walter Q. Gresham of Indiana stands as an enigmatic character in the politics of the Gilded Age, one who never seemed comfortable in the offices he sought. This first scholarly biography not only follows the turns of his career but seeks also to find the roots of his disaffection. Entering politics as a Whig, Gresham shortly turned to help organize the new Republican Party and was a contender for its presidential nomination in the 1880s. But he became popular with labor and with the Populists and closed his political career by serving as secretary of state under Grover Cleveland. In reviewing Gresham's conduct of foreign affairs, Charles W. Calhoun disputes the widely held view that he was an economic expansionist who paved the way for imperialism. Gresham, instead, is seen here as a traditionalist who tried to steer the country away from entanglements abroad. It is this traditionalism that Calhoun finds to be the clue to Gresham's career. Troubled with self-doubt, Gresham, like the Cato of old, sought strength in a return to the republican virtues of the Revolutionary generation. Based on a thorough use of the available resources, this will stand as the definitive biography of an important figure in American political and diplomatic history, and in its portrayal of a man out of step with his times it sheds a different light on the politics of the Gilded Age.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: What Happened Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2017-09-12 “An engaging, beautifully synthesized page-turner” (Slate). The #1 New York Times bestseller and Time #1 Nonfiction Book of the Year: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most personal memoir yet, about the 2016 presidential election. In this “candid and blackly funny” (The New York Times) memoir, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. She takes us inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. “At her most emotionally raw” (People), Hillary describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterward. She tells readers what it took to get back on her feet—the rituals, relationships, and reading that got her through, and what the experience has taught her about life. In this “feminist manifesto” (The New York Times), she speaks to the challenges of being a strong woman in the public eye, the criticism over her voice, age, and appearance, and the double standard confronting women in politics. Offering a “bracing... guide to our political arena” (The Washington Post), What Happened lays out how the 2016 election was marked by an unprecedented assault on our democracy by a foreign adversary. By analyzing the evidence and connecting the dots, Hillary shows just how dangerous the forces are that shaped the outcome, and why Americans need to understand them to protect our values and our democracy in the future. The election of 2016 was unprecedented and historic. What Happened is the story of that campaign, now with a new epilogue showing how Hillary grappled with many of her worst fears coming true in the Trump Era, while finding new hope in a surge of civic activism, women running for office, and young people marching in the streets.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Woodrow Wilson H. W. Brands, 2003-06 An acclaimed historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist offers a clear, comprehensive, and timely account of Wilson's unusual route to the White House, his campaign against corporate interests, and his decline in popularity and health following the rejection by Congress of his League of Nations.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Address of President Roosevelt at Chicago, Illinois, April 2 1903 Theodore Roosevelt, 1999-01-01 This Elibron Classics title is a reprint of the original edition published by the Government Printing Office in Washington, 1903.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: AP U.S. History Larry Krieger, 2009 AP U.S. History Crash Course Achieve a Higher AP Score in Less Time REA’s Crash Course is perfect for the time-crunched student, last-minute studier, or anyone who wants a refresher on the subject! Are you crunched for time? Have you started studying for your AP U.S. History exam yet? How will you memorize all that history before the test? Do you wish there was a fast and easy way to study for the exam AND boost your score? If this sounds like you, don’t panic. REA’s AP U.S. History Crash Course is just what you need. Our Crash Course gives you: Targeted, Focused Review - Study Only What You Need to Know The Crash Course is based on an in-depth analysis of the AP U.S. History course description outline and actual AP test questions. It covers only the information tested on the exam, so you can make the most of your valuable study time. Broken down into major topics and themes, REA gives you two ways to study the material -- chronologically or thematically. Expert Test-taking Strategies Written by an AP teacher who has studied the AP U.S. History Exam for 20 years, the author shares his detailed, question-level strategies and explains the best way to answer the multiple-choice and essay questions. By following his expert advice, you can boost your overall point score! Key Terms You Must Know Mastering AP vocabulary terms is an easy way to boost your score. Our AP expert gives you the key terms all AP U.S. History students must know before test day. Take REA’s FREE Practice Exam After studying the material in the Crash Course, go online and test what you’ve learned. Our full-length practice exam features timed testing, detailed explanations of answers, and automatic scoring. The exam is balanced to include every topic and type of question found on the actual AP exam, so you know you’re studying the smart way! When it’s crucial crunch time and your AP U.S. History exam is just around the corner, you need REA’s AP U.S. History Crash Course!
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Progressive Era Murray N. Rothbard, 2017-10-06 Rothbard's posthumous masterpiece is the definitive book on the Progressives. It will soon be the must read study of this dreadful time in our past. — From the Foreword by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano The current relationship between the modern state and the economy has its roots in the Progressive Era. — From the Introduction by Patrick Newman Progressivism brought the triumph of institutionalized racism, the disfranchising of blacks in the South, the cutting off of immigration, the building up of trade unions by the federal government into a tripartite big government, big business, big unions alliance, the glorifying of military virtues and conscription, and a drive for American expansion abroad. In short, the Progressive Era ushered the modern American politico-economic system into being. — From the Preface by Murray N. Rothbard
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century Institute of Medicine, Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Committee on Assuring the Health of the Public in the 21st Century, 2003-02-01 The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security ? National Defense University (U S ), National Defense University (U.S.), Institute for National Strategic Studies (U S, Sheila R. Ronis, 2011-12-27 On August 24-25, 2010, the National Defense University held a conference titled “Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security?” to explore the economic element of national power. This special collection of selected papers from the conference represents the view of several keynote speakers and participants in six panel discussions. It explores the complexity surrounding this subject and examines the major elements that, interacting as a system, define the economic component of national security.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Hoosiers and the American Story Madison, James H., Sandweiss, Lee Ann, 2014-10 A supplemental textbook for middle and high school students, Hoosiers and the American Story provides intimate views of individuals and places in Indiana set within themes from American history. During the frontier days when Americans battled with and exiled native peoples from the East, Indiana was on the leading edge of America’s westward expansion. As waves of immigrants swept across the Appalachians and eastern waterways, Indiana became established as both a crossroads and as a vital part of Middle America. Indiana’s stories illuminate the history of American agriculture, wars, industrialization, ethnic conflicts, technological improvements, political battles, transportation networks, economic shifts, social welfare initiatives, and more. In so doing, they elucidate large national issues so that students can relate personally to the ideas and events that comprise American history. At the same time, the stories shed light on what it means to be a Hoosier, today and in the past.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Picking the Vice President Elaine C. Kamarck, 2020-07-07 How Picking the Vice President Has Changed—and Why It Matters During the past three decades, two important things have changed about the U.S. vice presidency: the rationale for why presidential candidates choose particular running mates, and the role of vice presidents once in office. This is the first major book focusing on both of those elements, and it comes at a crucial moment in American history. Until 1992, presidential candidates tended to select running mates simply to “balance” the ticket, sometimes geographically, sometimes to guarantee victory in an must-carry state, sometimes ideologically, and sometimes for all three reasons. Bill Clinton changed that in 1992 when he selected Al Gore as his running mate, saying the experience and compatibility of the Tennessee senator would make him an ideal “partner” in governing. Gore's two immediate successors, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden, played similar roles under Presidents Bush and Obama. Mike Pence seems to also be following in that role as well, although the first draft of history on the Trump Administration is still being written. What enabled this change in the vice presidency was not so much the personal characteristics of recent vice presidents but instead changes in the presidential nomination system. The increased importance of primaries and the overwhelming need to raise money have diminished the importance of “balance” on the ticket and increased the importance of “partnership”—selecting a partner who can help the president govern. This book appears as Joe Biden prepares to choose his own running mate. No matter who wins the November 2020 elections, what Elaine Kamarck writes will be of interest to anyone following current affairs, students of American government, and journalists whose job will be to cover the next administration.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Secrets of the Sprakkar Eliza Reid, 2022-02 The Canadian first lady of Iceland pens a book about why this tiny nation is leading the charge in gender equality, in the vein of The Moment of Lift. Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman—but why? For the past twelve years, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report has ranked Iceland number one on its list of countries closing the gap in equality between men and women. What is it about Iceland that enables its society to make such meaningful progress in this ongoing battle, from electing the world’s first female president to passing legislation specifically designed to help even the playing field at work and at home? The answer is found in the country’s sprakkar, an ancient Icelandic word meaning extraordinary or outstanding women. Eliza Reid—Canadian born and raised, and now first lady of Iceland—examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women: the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness, the influence of current and historical role models, and, crucially, the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement. Throughout, she interviews dozens of sprakkar to tell their inspirational stories, and expertly weaves in her own experiences as an immigrant from small-town Canada. The result is an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as equal than we may understand. What makes many women’s experiences there so positive? And what can we learn about fairness to benefit our society? Like influential and progressive first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Michelle Obama, Reid uses her platform to bring the best of her nation to the world. Secrets of the Sprakkar is a powerful and atmospheric portrait of a tiny country that could lead the way forward for us all.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: American Carnage Tim Alberta, 2019-07-16 New York Times Bestseller “Not a conventional Trump-era book. It is less about the daily mayhem in the White House than about the unprecedented capitulation of a political party. This book will endure for helping us understand not what is happening but why it happened…. [An] indispensable work.”—Washington Post Politico Magazine’s chief political correspondent provides a rollicking insider’s look at the making of the modern Republican Party—how a decade of cultural upheaval, populist outrage, and ideological warfare made the GOP vulnerable to a hostile takeover from the unlikeliest of insurgents: Donald J. Trump. As George W. Bush left office with record-low approval ratings and Barack Obama led a Democratic takeover of Washington, Republicans faced a moment of reckoning: they had no vision, no generation of new leaders, and no energy in the party’s base. Yet Obama’s progressive agenda, coupled with the nation’s rapidly changing cultural identity, lit a fire under the right. Republicans regained power in Congress but spent that time fighting among themselves. With these struggles weakening the party’s defenses, and with more and more Americans losing faith in the political class, the stage was set for an outsider to crash the party. When Trump descended a gilded escalator to launch his campaign in the summer of 2015, the candidate had met the moment. Only by viewing Trump as the culmination of a decade-long civil war inside the GOP can we appreciate how he won the White House and consider the fundamental questions at the center of America’s current turmoil. Loaded with explosive original reporting and based on hundreds of exclusive interviews—including with key players such as President Trump, Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz, John Boehner, and Mitch McConnell—American Carnage takes us behind the scenes of this tumultuous period and establishes Tim Alberta as the premier chronicler of a political era.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Richard Nixon John A. Farrell, 2017-03-28 From a prize-winning biographer comes the defining portrait of a man who led America in a time of turmoil and left us a darker age. We live today, John A. Farrell shows, in a world Richard Nixon made. At the end of WWII, navy lieutenant “Nick” Nixon returned from the Pacific and set his cap at Congress, an idealistic dreamer seeking to build a better world. Yet amid the turns of that now-legendary 1946 campaign, Nixon’s finer attributes gave way to unapologetic ruthlessness. The story of that transformation is the stunning overture to John A. Farrell’s magisterial biography of the president who came to embody postwar American resentment and division. Within four years of his first victory, Nixon was a U.S. senator; in six, the vice president of the United States of America. “Few came so far, so fast, and so alone,” Farrell writes. Nixon’s sins as a candidate were legion; and in one unlawful secret plot, as Farrell reveals here, Nixon acted to prolong the Vietnam War for his own political purposes. Finally elected president in 1969, Nixon packed his staff with bright young men who devised forward-thinking reforms addressing health care, welfare, civil rights, and protection of the environment. It was a fine legacy, but Nixon cared little for it. He aspired to make his mark on the world stage instead, and his 1972 opening to China was the first great crack in the Cold War. Nixon had another legacy, too: an America divided and polarized. He was elected to end the war in Vietnam, but his bombing of Cambodia and Laos enraged the antiwar movement. It was Nixon who launched the McCarthy era, who played white against black with a “southern strategy,” and spurred the Silent Majority to despise and distrust the country’s elites. Ever insecure and increasingly paranoid, he persuaded Americans to gnaw, as he did, on grievances—and to look at one another as enemies. Finally, in August 1974, after two years of the mesmerizing intrigue and scandal of Watergate, Nixon became the only president to resign in disgrace. Richard Nixon is a gripping and unsparing portrayal of our darkest president. Meticulously researched, brilliantly crafted, and offering fresh revelations, it will be hailed as a master work.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Naval War of 1812; Or, the History of the United States Navy During the Last War with Great Britain, to Which Is Appended an Account of the Battle of New Orleans; Volume 1 Theodore Roosevelt, 2018-10-12 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: How to be a conservative Roger Scruton, 2014-09-11 Roger Scruton's How to be a Conservative presents the case for modern conservatism not in the terms of an elegy but rather as a practical example of how to live as a conservative despite the pressures to live otherwise. As he writes, the book 'is not about what we have lost, but about what we have retained, and how to hold on to it'. In this witty and frank account, Scruton draws on his years of experience as a counter-cultural presence in public life. He examines the truths in Nationalism, Socialism, Capitalism, Liberalism, Multiculturalism, Environmentalism, Internationalism and finally Conservatism. The book concludes on a personal note, with 'a valediction forbidding mourning but admitting loss'.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: 120 Years of American Education , 1993
  crash course us history progressive presidents: No Ordinary Time Doris Kearns Goodwin, 2008-06-30 Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Pulitzer Prize–winning classic about the relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, and how it shaped the nation while steering it through the Great Depression and the outset of World War II. With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin masterfully weaves together a striking number of story lines—Eleanor and Franklin’s marriage and remarkable partnership, Eleanor’s life as First Lady, and FDR’s White House and its impact on America as well as on a world at war. Goodwin effectively melds these details and stories into an unforgettable and intimate portrait of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and of the time during which a new, modern America was born.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Pentagon 9/11 Alfred Goldberg, 2007-09-05 The most comprehensive account to date of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and aftermath, this volume includes unprecedented details on the impact on the Pentagon building and personnel and the scope of the rescue, recovery, and caregiving effort. It features 32 pages of photographs and more than a dozen diagrams and illustrations not previously available.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party Michael F. Holt, 2003-05-01 Here, Michael F. Holt gives us the only comprehensive history of the Whigs ever written. He offers a panoramic account of the tumultuous antebellum period, a time when a flurry of parties and larger-than-life politicians--Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, and Henry Clay--struggled for control as the U.S. inched towards secession. It was an era when Americans were passionately involved in politics, when local concerns drove national policy, and when momentous political events--like the Annexation of Texas and the Kansas-Nebraska Act--rocked the country. Amid this contentious political activity, the Whig Party continuously strove to unite North and South, emerging as the nation's last great hope to prevent secession.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: Woodrow Wilson's Right Hand Godfrey Hodgson, 2006-01-01 The importance of Colonel Edward M. House in twentieth-century American foreign policy is enormous: from 1913 to 1919 he served not only as intimate friend and chief political adviser to President Woodrow Wilson but also as national security adviser and senior diplomat. Yet the relationship between House and the president ended in a quarrel at the Paris peace conference of 1919largely because of Mrs. Wilson s hostility to Houseand House has received little sympathetic historical attention since. This extensively researched book reintroduces House and clearly establishes his contributions as one of the greatest American diplomats. A kingmaker in Texas politics, House joined Wilson s campaign in 1912 and soon was traveling through Europe as the president s secret agent. He visited Europe repeatedly during World War I and played a major part in draftingWilson's Fourteen Points and the Covenant of the League of Nations. He tried to stop the war before it began, and to end it by negotiation after it had started. His greatest achievement was to lock both sides into an armistice based on American ideals.
  crash course us history progressive presidents: The Federal Reserve System Purposes and Functions Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2002 Provides an in-depth overview of the Federal Reserve System, including information about monetary policy and the economy, the Federal Reserve in the international sphere, supervision and regulation, consumer and community affairs and services offered by Reserve Banks. Contains several appendixes, including a brief explanation of Federal Reserve regulations, a glossary of terms, and a list of additional publications.