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Taft's Presidency: Conflicts and Legacy in the Progressive Movement

William Howard Taft, endorsed by Roosevelt, won the 1908 election but faced challenges with progressives due to his cautious approach to reform. The Payne-Aldrich Act raised some tariffs, angering many, while the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy highlighted divisions over conservation. Taft did pursue progressive reforms, initiating numerous antitrust cases and establishing the Children's Bureau. Despite these efforts, he was perceived by many progressives as betraying the movement, leading to Roosevelt's resurgence in politics for the 1912 election.

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Taft's Presidency: Conflicts and Legacy in the Progressive Movement

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  1. Chapter 18The Progressive Movement Section 3 The Taft Administration

  2. Taft Becomes President • Endorsed by Roosevelt, William Howard Taft easily defeated William Jennings Bryan in 1908. • Taft had a slow approach to problem solving that led to conflicts with progressives.

  3. The Payne-Aldrich Act • Taft felt high tariffs limited competition, hurt consumers, and protected trusts. • Called Congress into session to lower tariff rates.

  4. Speaker of the House Cannon had the power to push bills through w/o discussion. Taft stopped a Republican campaign against Cannon, and in return he pushed through the tariff bill. Angered many progressives! Joseph G. Cannon

  5. Payne-Aldrich Tariff • Raised some tariffs instead of lowering them. • Further alienated progressives. • Pinchot felt betrayed and angry with Taft.

  6. The Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy • Taft then hired Richard Ballinger as secretary of the interior. • Pinchot charged that Ballinger had tried to turn over valuable public lands in Alaska to a private syndicate, or business group, for his own profit. • Charges were groundless, but Pinchot leaked the story to the press. • Taft fired Pinchot for insubordination, or disobedience.

  7. Ballinger vs. Pinchot

  8. Taft’s Legacy • Progressives thought Taft, “sold the Square Deal down the river”. • 1910 – Democrats took the majority in the House & Progressive Republicans gained control of the Senate from the conservatives.

  9. Taft’s Progressive Reforms • Taft brought twice as many antitrust cases as Roosevelt and established the Children’s Bureau to fight child labor. • He was a conservationist who monitered the activities of the mining companies, expanded national forests, and protected waterpower sites from private development.

  10. Taft’s Progressive Reforms • Roosevelt refused to criticize Taft’s actions until Taft brought an antitrust lawsuit against U.S. Steel – a trust Roosevelt established. • Progressives convinced Roosevelt to reenter politics and run for president in 1912.

  11. End of Section 3 Next: Section 4 The Wilson Years

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