Progressive Era Presidents Taft and Wilson

1. How did William Howard Taft get selected to run for president?
William Howard Taft had gotten selected to run for president because the previous president, President Roosevelt, had hand selected him to run for president, he basically nominated Taft himself. Taft and the Republicans won an easy victory under the slogan "Vote for Taft this time, you can vote for Bryan any time." Also, Taft was the Secretary of War during Roosevelt's presidency so Roosevelt knew about Taft and thought that he would cary on his ideas.

2. How did Teddy Roosevelt come to oppose Taft for the presidency in 1912?
Taft wasn't expanding Roosevelt's reforms instead he was hesitant towards everything, every obstacle that he faced; Taft even admitted to Roosevelt that he didn't feel like a president. Also, after Taft's presidency and the next election came he ran against Roosevelt, Wilson, and Debs; during the campaigning both Taft and Roosevelt gibed at each other and even Wilson agreed that it turned nasty, he was smart to stay out of it.

3. What events helped Woodrow Wilson win the election in 1912?
During Taft's presidency he completely fell flat, for example he made tariffs that angered many people and he fired Ballinger, who was part of the U.S. Forest Service, because Ballinger spoke against Taft's action in taking away one million acres of land. Also, the refute between Roosevelt and Taft split the Republican Party, and the overall fighting help Wilson win the election in 1912. Lastly, Wilson had the same ideas of Roosevelt but a different way of putting them into action which helped make him more appealing to the public than Roosevelt.

4. What legislation did Wilson use to attack trusts and monopolies?
Wilson used the power of being president to pass acts, he helped pass the Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) and the Federal Trade Commission Act (1914). The Clayton Act prohibited companies from buying stocks from another if their intentions were to make a monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission Act made the FTC, also known as the Federal Trade Commission. Their job was to investigate possible violations of regulatory statutes, to require periodic reports from the corporations, and to put an end to many unfair business traditions. These acts greatly helped end the monopolies and was a very affective attack against the trusts and monopolies.

5. What was the Nineteenth Amendment?
The Nineteenth Amendment was added to the constitution in 1919 and it allowed women the right to vote, after their hard struggles for their suffrage and then the entry in World War I it was given that the women would finally have the right to vote.

6. How did America's entry into World War I affect the reform movement?
The Americans and legislators were very distracted by the war and let the progressive movement go to a standstill. Also, during Wilson's second presidency the war completely dominated his time as president which also helped stall the reform movement, and then the progressive movement stopped.