C30 - Wilsonian Progressivism at Home and Abroad 1912-1916

Question 1

Louis D. Brandeis

Answer 1

Author of 1914 book: “Other People’s Money and How the Bankers Use it”.

He was close to President Wilson, and his book sparked Banking Reform, which became the Federal Reserve Act, passed by Congress in 1913.

Again, passage of the law was partly due to President Wilson’s leadership and speaking skills in front of Congress and directly to the people of the US.

Wilson appointed Brandeis to the Supreme Court in 1916 - Brandeis became the first Jew appointed to the S.C.

Question 2

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Answer 2

Leader of Germany at start of WW1 - 1914

Question 3

John J. Pershing

Answer 3

US Military leader that Wilson sent to deal with the conflict in Mexico. Conflict between Villa, Carranza, and their killing of a handful of US citizens.

Question 4

Pancho Villa

Answer 4

Mexican leader who opposed Carranza of Mexico. Killed some US Citizens.

Question 5

Sixteenth Amendment

Answer 5

1913: Gave Congress the power to levy an Income Tax.

Question 6

Woodrow Wilson

Answer 6

Dr. Woodrow Wilson was President of Princeton U. Entered politics in 1910 when he ran for Governor in NJ.

Chosen by Democrats as their candidate in the 1912 election. Ran on strong progressive platform, called “New Freedom” program. Called for stronger antitrust laws, bank reform and tariff reduction.

Campaigned on his plan to fight against and bust what he called the unfair “triple wall of privilege”: the tariff, the banks & the trusts. In his first 1.5 years in office, his leadership resulted in Congress passing laws to deal with all 3: the Tariff Bill, The Federal Reserve Act, and more laws dealing with monopolies/trusts.

Question 7

Workingmen’s Compensation Act

Answer 7

1916: Granted federal employees pay during times when they were disabled/unable to work.

Question 8

Venustiano Carranza

Answer 8

Rival to Huerta in Mexico. 1914: Wilson sent Carranza and rivals of Huerta American guns for their fight.

Question 9

Victoriano Huerta

Answer 9

1913: Became President of Mexico after a revolution there.

Caused many Mexicans to flee to the US. For 3 decades they settled and worked in TX, AZ, NM and CA.

Question 10

Allies

Answer 10

In 1914 War that started in Europe, the Allies consisted of: France, Britain, Russia and later Japan and Italy.

Question 11

Sussex

Answer 11

3/1916 - this French ship was sunk by Germany.

This resulted in President Wilson demanding that Germany agree to stop the practice of sinking Merchant ships.

Question 12

Clayton Act

Answer 12

1914: Antitrust act. Added to the list of business practices that were considered unfair and monopolistic. Included price discrimination and interlocking directorates (same people serving on Boards of Directors of competing companies).

Another part of this law protected Labor Unions and explicitly legalized strikes and picketing. Huge win for the Labor Unions.

Question 13

Federal Farm Loan Act

Answer 13

1916. Law pushed by Wilson - gave low-interest loans to Farmers.

Question 14

Herbert Croly

Answer 14

Founder of a magazine “The New Republic” His views greatly influenced TR.

Question 15

Seaman’s Act

Answer 15

1915: Law that required decent treatment and a living wage for sailors on American merchant ships. Protected the sailors by crippled the merchant marine in the end as prices had to increase because of the increase in wages.

Question 16

Lusitania

Answer 16

British passenger ship that was sunk in 5/1915 by a German submarine (U-boat). 1200 people died, including 130 Americans.

US was outraged.

Question 17

Federal Trade Commission Act

Answer 17

1914: Law passed by Congress that allowed the President to appoint people to this commission. The commission would investigate and regulate all industries to root out monopolies, unfair trade practices, false advertising, etc.

Wilson’s personal leadership also helped to pass this through Congress.

Question 18

Underwood Tariff Bill

Answer 18

Passed in 1913. Very important bill that reduced the Tariff & started the Income Tax (a tax on citizens’ income.

President Wilson used great leadership skills to get this bill passed in Congress.

Question 19

Central Powers

Answer 19

In 1914 War that started in Europe, the Central Powers consisted of Germany and Austria-Hungary, later Turkey and Bulgaria.

Question 20

New Nationalism

Answer 20

1912 campaign: Roosevelt’s brand of Progressivism. Favored consolidation of trusts and labor unions, along with growth of regulatory agencies in federal govt. Also favored social welfare/insurance laws.

Contrast was Wilson’s “New Freedom” brand of Progressivism.

Question 21

New Freedom

Answer 21

1912 campaign: Wilson’s brand of Progressivism favored entrepreneuriship, small businesses, less federal. regulation and no social welfare. Favored free competition and busting of large trusts to create smaller competitors.

Contrast was Roosevelt’s “New Nationalism”.

Question 22

Adamson Act

Answer 22

1916: Established 8-hour workday for RR workers plus overtime pay.

Question 23

Arsene Pujo

Answer 23

US representative who fought against powerful Trusts.

Question 24

Federal Reserve Act

Answer 24

1913: Congress passed this huge banking reform act. Again, passage of the law was partly due to President Wilson’s leadership and speaking skills in front of Congress and directly to the people of the US.

The New Federal Reserve Board, appointed by the President, oversaw a nationwide system of 12 regional reserve districts, each with its own reserve bank. Control of the banks was shared between private banks who owned the reserve banks and the Federal govt. which had much control.

The Federal Reserve Board was allowed to issue paper money or “Federal Reserve Notes”. This allowed the practice of increasing the money supply if needed.

This act was a huge achievement and carried the US through times of financial crisis that were to come, including during WW1 from 1914-1918.

Question 25

Eugene V. Debs

Answer 25

Socialist party candidate who ran in 1908 and 1912 elections, with increasing support.

Question 26

Charles Evans Hughes

Answer 26

Republican candidate in 1916 election. Ran against Wilson and condemned the Democrats low Tariff, their assaults on Trusts and foreign policy “weakness” in dealing with Mexico and Germany.

Evans was a “cold” personality, former Supreme Court Justice.

Democrat Woodrow Wilson won a 2nd term in a very close vote.

Question 27

Arabic

Answer 27

8/1915 - This British passenger ship was sunk by Germany - 2 Americans were killed.

Question 28

Jones Act

Answer 28

1916: Granted Philippines territorial status and promised independence as soon as a stable government was formed. That happened in 1946.

Question 29

Theodore Roosevelt

Answer 29

1912 election, he ran as a 3rd party Republican Progressive against Republican Taft and Democrat Wilson.

Shot in MKE during the campaign. Took 2 weeks off from campaigning.

Question 30

Samuel Gompers

Answer 30

Labor leader who rejoiced after Labor’s win in the 1914 Clayton Act.

Question 31

Virgin Islands

Answer 31

1917: US purchased Virgin Islands from Denmark.

Question 32

Tampico + Vera Cruz

Answer 32

1914: Incident involving Mexico taking control of a small number of US soldiers.

Question 33

Belgium

Answer 33

In 1914, country that was neutral, but was invaded by Germany to get to France in order to defeat France quickly, so Germany could focus on its other enemies (e.g. Russia).

Question 34

Serbia

Answer 34

Summer of 1914 - WW1 started here when a Serbian killed the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary.

Question 35

Haiti

Answer 35

1915: Wilson had to send US Marines to Haiti to protect US interests as Haiti’s government fell apart.