Progressivism on a National Level :: essays research papers

Reform of corrupt businesses and disposal first gear drew attention at local and state takes. Big businesses in the late 1800s preferred profit over patriotism, credit over honor, idiosyncratic gain over depicted object 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 put to work of 1890 was an early attempt to try to mesh abuses by large combinations of businesses called trusts. The dress was weakened by the Supreme Court used against labor unions quite a 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 caller-up whom monopolized railroad traffic. After successfully using his powers in governme nt to control businesses, Roosevelt used the Sherman Antitrust Act against forty-three bad trusts that broke the fair play and left the good trusts alone. When united mine workers went on strike demanding slight hours, more money, and perception 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 set up a meeting with representatives from both sides to meet. He threatened to seize the mines and withdraw them with federal troops and eventually settled it by giving them a reduction in the workday and wage step-ups, 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 segment of Commerce and Labor to act as a corporate watchdog. The interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was created in 1887 to regulate railroads but was never prone real power to set rates and prevent discriminatory practices. To in crease the power of the ICC, Roosevelt passed the Hepburn Act of 1906, and for the first time, a government commission could check into private business records and set rates. When Upton Sinclairs novel The Jungle was published, reformers took another(prenominal) look at the meatpacking industry. The novels startling accounts of disgustful conditions in the meatpacking plants resulted in the passing of the Pure Food and medicine Act and a Meat Inspection Act.