Progressivism on a National Level :: essays research papers

Reform of corrupt businesses and organization start-off drew attention at local and state take aims. Big businesses in the late 1800s preferred profit over patriotism, credit over honor, separate gain over bailiwick prosperity, and trade and dickering over principles. It was not until 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt became president, that progressivism was brought to the national level. During Roosevelts presidency, he would push reform as much as possible by strengthening the power of the federal government.The Sherman Antitrust coiffe of 1890 was an early attempt to try to check out abuses by large combinations of businesses called trusts. The flake was weakened by the Supreme Court used against labor unions earlier than against monopolies. Roosevelts first push for reform on the national level began with a secret antitrust investigation of the J. P. Morgans Northern Securities beau monde whom monopolized railroad traffic. After successfully using his powers in government to control businesses, Roosevelt used the Sherman Antitrust Act against forty-three bad trusts that broke the practice of law and left the good trusts alone. When united mine workers went on strike demanding less(prenominal) hours, more money, and wisdom as a union, the price of coal went from $2.50 to $6.00 a ton. With the nations high dependence on coal during the winter, Roosevelt pose a meeting with representatives from both sides to meet. He threatened to seize the mines and grade them with federal troops and eventually settled it by giving them a reduction in the workday and wage summations, but no recognition as a union.Another Act that expanded the federal governments power included the Elkins Act which outlawed railroad rebates and created the section of Commerce and Labor to act as a corporate watchdog. The interstate highway Commerce Commission (ICC) was created in 1887 to regulate railroads but was never disposed real power to set rates and prevent discriminatory practices. To increase the power of the ICC, Roosevelt passed the Hepburn Act of 1906, and for the first time, a government commission could analyze private business records and set rates. When Upton Sinclairs novel The Jungle was published, reformers took other look at the meatpacking industry. The novels startling accounts of pestiferous conditions in the meatpacking plants resulted in the passing of the Pure Food and do drugs Act and a Meat Inspection Act.