Presidents of the Progressive Era

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The progressive era was a period of social activism and political reform in the United States. The political climate was ripe for reform and America was seeking leaders who could provide a new, more beneficial direction. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were two of the most renowned presidents of this era. One kindred goal of both of these presidents was to monitor and rectify large trust and monopolies in the U.S. Despite the fact that Wilson and Roosevelt’s domestic policies were correlative of each other, their foreign policies were very different from one another. Roosevelt tended to become more involved with foreign events. On the other hand, Wilson favored remaining impartial in foreign affairs. Wilson didn’t want to become entangled in World War 1 until the United States had been directly stricken. During the progressive era, both Roosevelt and Wilson put in great effort to defend smaller businesses. Theodore Roosevelt’s policy of prosecuting monopolies, or “trusts,” that violated federal antitrust laws was known as “Trust-Busting.” This forced industrialists and monopolistic corporations to consider public opinion when making business decisions, which benefited the consumer and helped grow the economy. One way that Wilson and Roosevelt tried protecting these smaller businesses was by removing trusts that were much bigger than they were. Under Wilson’s authority in 1814, the Clayton Anti- Trust Act was passed, which abolished interlocking directorates. This law was passed as an amendment to clarify and supplement the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. When Roosevelt became president in 1901, he demanded a “Square Deal” that would address his principal concerns for the era- the three C’s: control of corporations, consum... ... middle of paper ... ...d liberties of small nations, and an international peace organization that aimed to end war forever. Although Wilson became involved with the war, he still identified and found greater interest in remaining uninvolved with foreign affairs. The social activism and political reform in the United States is the preeminent characteristics of the Progressive era. This era brought great change to the U.S. The power that was bestowed upon the presidents of this era exceeds what any other presidents ever received. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, two of the most renowned presidents of the progressive era, shared kindred goals in their domestic policies but differed from each other in their foreign policies.. Roosevelt took aggressive action in partaking with foreign affairs, while Wilson tried to remain uninvolved until the well-being of his country was at stake.

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