Adam Taylor

                                                                                                            Per. 2 AP US History

                                                                                                            1-29-05

                                                                                                            8.3 DBQ

 Progressive Presidents

            Both Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were truly great progressive presidents. They did so much for the nation in so many reforms in so many areas that it is just simply amazing to think that they did all of these in only a few years. They achieved more in just a few years in office than what of other high government officials could ever hope to achieve in a lifetime. Their achievements were so great in number, but the biggest and most commonly know are, preservation of nature, regulation of businesses, equality for all, and in front in law, and square deal. There are still many more achievements that these two great men did in their time in office that, volumes of information could be filled to tell all the great achievements they made.

            Theodore Roosevelt, the first progressive president, was a strong and determined man, and once he decided that something should be done he make sure it got done. That is why he was known for his trust busting, because he felt that these big business were just plain wrong that they were getting special treatment in the law, and that no one should be above the law. This was what was great, for he felt that no one was above the law, and this included people like Rockefeller owner of Standard Oil, which he used to try and break by using the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. He also called for regulation of businesses, and for the end to all monopolies. His call for equality even went out of the law and into society. He felt that African Americans needed to be treated as equals. Roosevelt also was for helping the common person, in his square deal.

            Roosevelt is also known for his work on solving strikes. Roosevelt got the name for the square deal when he called in the workers and the employers of the coal strike, to the white house and solved the problem. He solved it by listening to both the workers and the employers and then going from there to his decision. His decision being that he agreed to help the workers out. Theodore Roosevelt was so much liked that his political party the Republicans would put him up as their presidential candidate instead of Robert LaFollette who was their original man for the job for the 1912 campaign. Nevertheless though he would not be elected, instead Democrat Woodrow Wilson would be elected as the man to continue the progressivism work.

            Preserving nature was another area that was of real importance to Theodore Roosevelt. He was the first president to put land aside that was not to be used for anything but nature. Land that was to be preserved, and these lands would later be part of the National Parks we have today. He would not be the last president to work on conserving the national resources though.

                        The second great progressive president, is Woodrow Wilson. Now Wilson did some of his own things, but he also continued and expanded of Theodore Roosevelt. He continued on with work on regulating businesses, and helping the common people’s lives. Roosevelt was also a trust buster, he worked to regulate business. His greatest trust burst would have to be the great achievement that Roosevelt had so wanted to accomplish, the break up of Standard Oil in 1911. A great second accomplishment was at the same time of breaking up American Tobacco Company. He really worked hard to continue the work of Roosevelt on conservation. Wilson added onto Roosevelt’s work by putting a end to the mass destruction that the mining, lumber and other companies were doing to the land. Laws were put in place that required that lumber companies had to replant where they stripped down the trees, and the miners had to fill in the lands that they had stripped to get to the minerals of metals they wanted. His actions in improving the lives of the common citizen were putting a  end to child labor, and giving women the vote. So he greatly broaden the view of citizens essentials interests, worked hard on trust busting, and preserving the nation’s beauty.