Theodore+Roosevelt-The+Conservative+as+Progressive

VB- Theodore Roosevelt was renowned for his support of regulating large corporations. Theodore Roosevelt was a well-educated individual who came from a wealthy family, but despised the large businesses that dominated society. Many acknowledged Roosevelt was willing to help the businesses stay intact. This was a result of his largely conservative education that supported Laissez-faire economics. After taking office, Roosevelt wasted no time in showing America where his true beliefs laid. Roosevelt coined the term “Square Deal” which pertained to his domestic policies. Large businesses were soon placed under stringent regulation from the government. This enabled the continuation of commerce and helped the social environment in the United States. One such legislation is the Elkins Act, this banned railroad companies from giving rebates to companies and give uniform prices to all. Roosevelt passed more legislation that would contradict his conservative upbringing, but allowed him to minimize corruption from the Gilded Age. Richard Hofstadter asserts that initially Roosevelt was going to end corporations, however realized after assuming positions in the local New York government that a middle ground must be met. While running for positions in New York, Roosevelt was despised by large labor circles due to his anti-corporation legislation. He soon realized that in order to make changes he would have to comprise. This ultimately led to Roosevelt creating less radical legislation. Roosevelt was able to make drastic changes in domestic policy while essentially sticking to party principles. checked 11/7

MRL - In the article, __Theodore Roosevelt: The Conservative as Progressive__, Richard Hofstadter effectively explains Theodore Roosevelt's unique approach to politics.Hofstadter desribes how Roosevelt wished only to do what was best for the United States, rather than purely catering to his the Republican Party's desires. Roosevelt's political agenda was described in his own words as a, "Square Deal", for Americans, which meant that each group of Americans will be treated equally and fairly; no one would be specially privileged in the eyes of Roosevelt's administration. Hofstadter writes about Roosevelt's seemingly contradictory political actions by describing how the President could at first denounce monopolies and support laborers, and then suddenly chastise striking laborers in the same breath. Though this may seem like a contradiction, it is in fact an example of Roosevelt's Square Deal. His stature incited fear in big business due to his crusade againts harmful monopolies. Such a political stance toward big business was uncommon for a Republican President, but much like his philospohy of a Square Deal, Roosevelt was also unique in the sense that he was virtually uncontrollable by big business puppetmasters. For instance, Mark Hanna lost his influence in the Republican Party and was unable to control Roosevelt after the assassination of McKinley; thus, Roosevelt was unchecked by the outside influence of wealthy members of Congress and business. Due to his uncontrollable nature, Roosevelt was successful in initiating the separation and elimination of monopolies, which was later carried on by President William Taft.

RIL: Roosevelt’s insecurities in some ways brought about his success and strength. It was because he felt weak, that he fought to become strong. When he was younger, he was weaker and smaller than other boys of his age and it was because of this perceived weakness that he took up boxing to become stronger and stay strong. If he had not thought himself weak, he would not have strove to become powerful. The strength he portrayed was one of the reasons for his success as president. One of the reasons he was popular with the people was because he seemed strong which made them respect him and his authority. Also because of his strength, he was able to control congress a bit in his Bully Pullpit. He would use the power he had as president and the power he had from the support of the people to get his way in congress. It was also because of his strength that Mark Hannah did not want him to be president because Roosevelt could not be controlled which was why Roosevelt became Vice President instead of running for president in the election of 1900. He also used his power to end the Anthracite Coal Strike between J. P. Morgan and the union members forcing J. P. Morgan to compromise with the unions by limiting his options; Roosevelt had said that either J. P. Morgan could negotiate with the union members or the government would nationalize the mines. Even after his presidential term, he used his power to stop the Pinchot controversy in which the president, Taft, and J. P. Morgan were involved and since he had sway over the decision between these two powerful men, Roosevelt was incredibly powerful. Roosevelt was a very dominant man who consistently used his power to his advantage to meet his ideals. If it had not been for his strength, he would not have been such a successful political figure.

AJJ-Though labeled as a republican, Theodore Roosevelt had many progressive values making Roosevelt quite a unique president. In “Theodore Roosevelt-The Conservative as Progressive” Richard Hofstadter argues that despite Theodore Roosevelt’s original intentions to be a trustbuster and end corporation’s dominance, Roosevelt was forced to compromise as a president. In this article, Hofstadter tells of Roosevelt’s history in New York Politics and his largely anti-business stance. Even after Roosevelt was an anti-business politician throughout his political career, the “Square Deal” proved to be quite a moderate stance to take on the issue of big business. Though in actuality, he didn’t break up many big businesses, the fear that Roosevelt caused businesses to have, made Roosevelt seem like a president businesses didn’t want to mess around with. Roosevelt’s did however, pass legislation regulate big business, which was strongly against the ideals of Mark Hanna and the Republican party proving that Roosevelt didn‘t forsake his own ideals for the ideals of his party. Roosevelt’s political agenda was not one that was entirely progressive or entirely republican yet had elements of both. Roosevelt successfully gained the reputation of a trustbuster while still letting big businesses flourish. This president obviously saw that there were benefits and negatives of American corporations and the compromises that Roosevelt made as well as Roosevelt’s own values made him an independent and unique president.

checked 11/14