Progressive Presidents Presentation
By Tim Crawford
Theodore Roosevelt
Biography
He was born in New York on October 27, 1858. He was home schooled because he had asthma. He developed a love for weight lifting and boxing in his teenage years. His father died while he was in Harvard. He married Alice Hathaway Lee after he graduated. His mother an his wife both died on the the same day and he moved to Dakota to become a cowboy. He married Edith Kermit Carow when he returned to New York. He was interested in the Spanish-American war and joined the Rough riders who fought in the battle of San Juan Heights. He was elected president in 1901 and was in office until 1909. He died on January 6, 1919.
Report Card Grade
Leadership: A+
Roosevelt was a great leader. He led the middle class to better benefits by creating the Square Deal. He led the creation of the Panama Canal which became a very important way to get from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to go all the way around South America. Roosevelt Created the Roosevelt Corollary to lead the way in keeping European countries away from Latin American countries.
Organization: A
Theodore Roosevelt created The Square Deal to help the US middle class. Conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protections were all parts of the Square Deal. He did not like corporations and had Congress create a Bureau of Corporations to regulate big business. he created the Roosevelt Corollary which was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine that said the US would get involved in conflicts between European countries and Latin American countries.
Professionalism: A-
Many people admired Theodore Roosevelt. He was a very popular president because his policies were for the people. He was so popular that many presidents, Democrat and Republican, try to be like him. He brought new excitement and power to the presidency. He was very fond of conservation and gave many parks to the people.
Contributions: A
Theodore Roosevelt's biggest contribution was Conservation. He created nation parks and forests which ended up protecting 230 million acres of public land. Another great accomplishment was the Square Deal which helped the middle class. He also convinced Congress to pass the Bureau of Corporations to limit big business. Theodore Roosevelt had a large impact on the people of the nation and he is remembered for it.
Theodore Roosevelt | 60-Second Presidents | PBS
William Howard Taft
Biography
He was born on September 17, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had five siblings that he grew up with. He attended Yale and joined the secret society Skull and Bones. He married Helen Herron. He became Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of War. He was elected president in 1909 and served until 1913. He died on March 9, 1930. He was the first president to be buried in the Arlington Cemetery.
Report Card Grade
Leadership: B
Taft's leadership was not as popular as other presidents' leadership. The nation did not really believe in his leadership. He did help lead the way to weakening monopolies with his "Trust Busting" which the people wanted. He led the way into foreign affairs with his Dollar Diplomacy. Taft was a fine leader, but not the leader that American had expected him to be when he was elected to the presidency.
Organization: A-
Taft created the Dollar Diplomacy to increase American involvement in Latin American countries through the power in the economy by guaranteeing loans that were given to other countries. Taft introduced "Trust Busting" which was aimed at breaking up the big corporations and monopolies. His social and government reforms were put in place to improve the US.
Professionalism: B
The nation wanted Taft because Roosevelt had promoted him. He easily won the election because the people though he would be like Roosevelt. Taft's ideas were not the same as Roosevelt's and the people did not like that his ideas were not like Roosevelt's ideas. The public did not like Taft because he was not what they were expecting.
Contributions: B-
His biggest contribution was the "Trust Busting" which would help separate monopolies. He also contributed the Dollar Diplomacy to guarantee loans to foreign countries.Taft's social and government reforms were also a big contribution.His impact was not as great as Roosevelt's impact.
William Howard Taft | 60-Second Presidents | PBS
Woodrow Wilson
Biography
He was born on December 28, 1856 in Staunton, Virginia. His father became involved in the confederate cause during the Civil War. He saw the defeated confederate president get marched through Augusta. He had always wanted to be a professor at Princeton ever since he was young. He married Ellen Louise Axson. Politics turned him into a Democrat. He was elected as president in 1913 and served until 1921. He died on February 3, 1924 and was buried at the Washington National Cathedral.
Report Card Grade
Leadership: B
Wilson was doing his best to keep the US neutral during World War I. In 1917, He ended up declaring war on Germany. Americans wanted to go to war against Germany for the sinking of unarmed ships and the Zimmerman telegram. Wilson led the US to victory in World War I and helped create the League of Nations which membership was rejected by Congress. Wilson was involved with the Mexican Revolution. He helped plan the overthrow of Francisco I. Madero.
Organization: A+
He was able to pass three Amendments for the constitution in his first term in office. This was more than any other president. Wilson's New Freedom included the Underwood-Simmons Act which reduced tariff rates. It also included the Federal Reserve Act which made the currency more flexible. The third part was the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 which named certain business tactics to be illegal.
Professionalism: B+
Many people admired president Woodrow Wilson because of all of his accomplishments while in office. He acted the way people wanted him to act. Wilson passed many Acts and Amendments for the people. He led America into World War I because people wanted to stop Germany. Overall, he was a popular president for the public.
Contributions: A
One of his best contributions was Wilson's New Freedom. It had 3 parts that all helped to create better benefits for farmers by reducing tariffs and making money more flexible. This allowed farmers to spend less money on loans and tariffs. Wilson passed the Amendment that gave women the right to vote. Women had been fighting for the right to vote and Wilson was the president that made it happen. His impact was greater than taft's impact because he accomplished more for the people.
Woodrow Wilson | 60-Second Presidents | PBS