Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
Encyclopedia
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American
political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party
between President
William Howard Taft
and former President Theodore Roosevelt
.
The party also became known as the Bull Moose Party when former President Roosevelt boasted "I'm fit as a bull moose
," after being shot in an assassination attempt prior to his 1912 campaign
speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
.
Inspiration for the party's beginnings may have come from Roosevelt's friend and supporter, U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns
of Utah, who in October 1906 broke off from the Republican Party and started the American Party
in that state. Kearns was a Roman Catholic, and this was a direct response to the influence of the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the Senatorial elections between 1902 to 1905.
to succeed him, and Taft easily won the 1908 presidential election
. Roosevelt became disappointed by Taft's increasingly conservative policies. Taft alienated Roosevelt when he used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to break up U.S. Steel
. During his own presidency, Roosevelt had approved J.P. Morgan-owned U.S. Steel as a "good" trust By 1912, the two were openly hostile, and Roosevelt decided to seek the presidency.
Taft was already being challenged by Senator
Robert La Follette
of Wisconsin
, but Roosevelt jumped in late in the campaign.
Roosevelt far outpolled Taft in the primaries
. But Taft controlled the party organization and the convention
, which renominated him in June. Before the final vote, Roosevelt had said he would accept nomination from a new "honestly elected" convention. He ordered his delegates to abstain from voting in rebuke of Taft's "steamroller tactics". The next day, they met to form a new party. California
governor Hiram Johnson
became chairman, and a new convention was scheduled for August. Publisher Frank A. Munsey, the largest stockholder of U.S. Steel at the time, provided much of the funds for the new organization; George W. Perkins, a director U.S. Steel and Chairman of the International Harvester Company—another trust Taft attacked—became executive secretary.
Roosevelt's ambitions received two setbacks in the interim. First, not many Republicans joined the new party. Only 5 of the 15 "progressive" Republican Senators declared support, and there was comparable reluctance among Republican Representatives, governors, and committeemen, and the publishers and editors of Republican newspapers. Many of Roosevelt's closest political allies supported Taft, including his son-in-law, Nicholas Longworth
(though Roosevelt's daughter Alice
stuck with her father, causing a permanent chill in her marriage). For men like Longworth, expecting a future in politics, bolting the party was simply too radical a step. However, many independent reformers still signed up. Two important activists were Gifford Pinchot
and his brother Amos Pinchot
.
Second, in July the Democrats nominated Woodrow Wilson
, their most articulate and prominent progressive. As a leading educator and political scientist, he qualified as the ideal "expert" to handle affairs of state, and attracted many of the independent progressives Roosevelt had been counting on.
Even some Republican progressives endorsed Wilson over Roosevelt as the best man to beat Taft, including La Follette and two other Senators.
gave a seconding speech for Roosevelt's nomination. Roosevelt insisted on excluding black Republicans from the South, whom he regarded a corrupt and ineffective element, but included black delegates from all other areas. Roosevelt went so far as to further alienate southern white supporters on the eve of the election, by publicly dining with blacks at a Rhode Island hotel.
Roosevelt was nominated by acclamation, with Johnson as his running mate.
The main work of the convention was the platform
, which set forth the new party's appeal to the voters. It included a broad range of social and political reforms advocated by progressives.
In the social sphere the platform called for
The political reforms proposed included
The platform also urged states to adopt measures for "direct democracy
", including:
However, the main theme of the platform was an attack on the domination of politics by business
interests, which allegedly controlled both established parties. The platform asserted that
To that end, the platform called for
Besides these measures, the platform called for reductions in the tariff
, limitations on naval armaments by international agreement and improvements to inland waterways
.
The biggest controversy at the convention was over the platform section dealing with trusts
and monopolies
such as Standard Oil
. The convention approved a strong "trust-busting" plank, but Roosevelt had it replaced with language that spoke only of "strong National regulation
" and "permanent active [Federal] supervision" of major corporations. This retreat shocked reformers like Pinchot, who blamed it on Perkins (a director of U.S. Steel
). The result was a deep split in the new party that was never resolved.
In general the platform expressed Roosevelt's "New Nationalism
": a strong government to regulate industry
, protect the middle
and working classes, and carry on great national projects. This New Nationalism was paternalistic in direct contrast to Wilson's individualistic philosophy of "New Freedom
".
Roosevelt also favored a vigorous foreign policy
, including strong military power. Though the platform called for limiting naval armaments, it also recommended the construction of two new battleship
s per year, much to the distress of outright pacifists
such as Jane Addams.
Roosevelt ran a vigorous campaign, but the campaign was short of money, as the business interests which had supported Roosevelt in 1904 either backed the other candidates or stayed neutral. Roosevelt was also handicapped by the fact that he had already served nearly two full terms as President, and thus was challenging the unwritten "no third term" rule.
In the end Roosevelt fell far short of winning. He drew 4.1 million votes - 27%, well behind Wilson's 42% but ahead of Taft's 23%. (6% went to Socialist
Eugene Debs). He received 88 electoral votes, compared to 435 for Wilson and 8 for Taft.
This was nonetheless the best showing by any third party since the modern two-party system was established in 1864. Roosevelt was the only third-party candidate to outpoll a candidate of an established party.
Many historians have concluded that the Republican split allowed Wilson to win the presidency. Others argue that even without the split, Wilson would have won (as he did in 1916).
In addition to Roosevelt's presidential campaign, hundreds of other candidates sought office as Progressives in 1912.
Twenty-one ran for governor. Over 200 ran for U.S. Representative
(the exact number is not clear because there were many Republican-Progressive fusion candidacies, and some candidates ran with the labels of ad hoc groups such as "Bull Moose Republicans" or (in Pennsylvania) the "Washington Party".
On October 14, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and still delivered his 90-minute presidential campaign speech as planned. The would-be assassin, John Schrank, claimed the ghost of William McKinley
had appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to avenge his death by killing Roosevelt. Had it not been for the 50-page speech and steel eyeglass case he was carrying in his jacket, the bullet would have gone deeper into his chest and penetrated his lung. When asked if this would halter his election campaign, he said to the reporter "I'm fit as a bull moose," which inspired the party's emblem.
In California, the state Republican party was controlled by governor and Roosevelt ally Hiram Johnson, the Vice-Presidential nominee, so progressives there stayed with the Republican label (with one exception).
Most of the Progressive candidates were in New York
, Ohio
, Indiana
, Illinois
, and Massachusetts
. Only a few were in the South.
The lesser Progressive candidates generally got between 10% and 30% of the vote. Nine Progressives were elected to the House; none won governorships.
Some historians speculate that if the Progressive Party had run only the Roosevelt presidential ticket, it might have attracted many more Republicans willing to split their ballot. But the progressive movement was strongest at the state level, and, so the new party had fielded candidates for governor and state legislature. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, the local Republican boss, at odds with state party leaders, joined Roosevelt's cause.
In spite of this, very few Progressives were elected to local offices; about 250. The Democrats gained many state legislature seats, which gave them 10 additional U.S. Senate seats; they also gained 63 U.S. House seats.
Hiram Johnson was denied renomination for Governor as a Republican; he ran as a Progressive and was re-elected. Seven other Progressives ran for governor; none got more than 16%.
Some state parties remained fairly strong. In Washington, Progressives won a third of the seats in the Washington State Legislature
businessman John M. Parker
ran for governor as a Progressive early in the year. (The Republican Party was deeply unpopular in Louisiana.) Parker got a respectable 37% of the vote. He was the only Progressive to run for governor that year.
Later that year, the party held its second national convention, in conjunction with the Republican national convention. This was to facilitate a possible reconciliation. Five delegates from each convention met to negotiate.
The Progressives wanted reunification, but with Roosevelt as nominee, which the Republicans adamantly opposed. Meanwhile, Charles Evans Hughes
, a moderate progressive, became the front-runner at the Republican convention, though opposed by many conservatives. The Progressives suggested Hughes as a compromise candidate. Then Roosevelt sent a message proposing conservative Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
. The shocked Progressives immediately nominated Roosevelt again, with Parker as the Vice Presidential nominee.
Roosevelt refused to accept the nomination and endorsed Hughes, who was immediately approved by the Republican convention.
The national Progressive party promptly disintegrated. Nearly all Progressives reverted to the Republican Party, including Roosevelt, who stumped for Hughes, and Hiram Johnson, who was elected to the Senate as a Republican.
Some leaders, such as Harold Ickes
of Chicago, supported Wilson.
Five Progressives were elected to the House in 1916, all with joint Republican backing except Whitmell Martin of Louisiana.
was nominated for Vice President in 1936.
The relative domination of the Republican Party by conservatives left many former Progressives with no real affiliation till the 1930s, when most joined the New Deal
Democratic Party coalition of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
broke bitterly with Roosevelt in 1912, and ran for President on his own ticket, the 1924 Progressive Party
, in 1924.
As of mid 2010, there has been a strong resurgence in the midwest. It is a grass roots effort; ostensibly the progressive counterpart to the Tea Party Movement
.
Category:Political parties established in 1912
Category:Defunct political parties in the United States
Category:History of the United States (1865–1918)
Category:Theodore Roosevelt
Category:Democratic socialist and social democratic parties and organizations in the United States
Category:1912 establishments in the United States
Category:Progressive Era in the United States
lt:Jungtinių Valstijų Progresinė partija
nl:Progressieve Partij (Verenigde Staten, 1912)
no:Progressive Party (1912)
ru:Прогрессивная партия (США, 1912)
fi:Progressiivinen puolue (1912)
sv:Progressiva partiet (USA)
uk:Прогресивна партія США (1912 року)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
between President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
and former President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
The party also became known as the Bull Moose Party when former President Roosevelt boasted "I'm fit as a bull moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
," after being shot in an assassination attempt prior to his 1912 campaign
United States presidential election, 1912
The United States presidential election of 1912 was a rare four-way contest. Incumbent President William Howard Taft was renominated by the Republican Party with the support of its conservative wing. After former President Theodore Roosevelt failed to receive the Republican nomination, he called...
speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Inspiration for the party's beginnings may have come from Roosevelt's friend and supporter, U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns
Thomas Kearns was a mining, banking, railroad and newspaper magnate. He was elected United States Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905.- Immigration and mining :...
of Utah, who in October 1906 broke off from the Republican Party and started the American Party
American Party (Utah)
The American Party was a political party in Utah from 1904 to 1911. It was designed to counter the influence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah politics.-Creation:...
in that state. Kearns was a Roman Catholic, and this was a direct response to the influence of the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the Senatorial elections between 1902 to 1905.
Birth of a new party
Roosevelt retired as President in 1908. He had selected Taft, his Secretary of WarUnited States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
to succeed him, and Taft easily won the 1908 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1908
The United States presidential election of 1908 was held on November 3, 1908. Popular incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt, honoring a promise not to seek a third term, persuaded the Republican Party to nominate William Howard Taft, his close friend and Secretary of War, to become his successor...
. Roosevelt became disappointed by Taft's increasingly conservative policies. Taft alienated Roosevelt when he used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to break up U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
. During his own presidency, Roosevelt had approved J.P. Morgan-owned U.S. Steel as a "good" trust By 1912, the two were openly hostile, and Roosevelt decided to seek the presidency.
Taft was already being challenged by Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Robert La Follette
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, but Roosevelt jumped in late in the campaign.
Roosevelt far outpolled Taft in the primaries
United States presidential primary
The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America. The primary elections are run by state and local governments, while caucuses are private events run by the political parties...
. But Taft controlled the party organization and the convention
1912 Republican National Convention
The 1912 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held at the Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, from June 18 to June 22, 1912. The party nominated William Howard Taft from Ohio for re-election as President of the United States and James S...
, which renominated him in June. Before the final vote, Roosevelt had said he would accept nomination from a new "honestly elected" convention. He ordered his delegates to abstain from voting in rebuke of Taft's "steamroller tactics". The next day, they met to form a new party. California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
governor Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
became chairman, and a new convention was scheduled for August. Publisher Frank A. Munsey, the largest stockholder of U.S. Steel at the time, provided much of the funds for the new organization; George W. Perkins, a director U.S. Steel and Chairman of the International Harvester Company—another trust Taft attacked—became executive secretary.
Roosevelt's ambitions received two setbacks in the interim. First, not many Republicans joined the new party. Only 5 of the 15 "progressive" Republican Senators declared support, and there was comparable reluctance among Republican Representatives, governors, and committeemen, and the publishers and editors of Republican newspapers. Many of Roosevelt's closest political allies supported Taft, including his son-in-law, Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth IV was a prominent American politician in the Republican Party during the first few decades of the 20th century...
(though Roosevelt's daughter Alice
Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. She was the only child of Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee....
stuck with her father, causing a permanent chill in her marriage). For men like Longworth, expecting a future in politics, bolting the party was simply too radical a step. However, many independent reformers still signed up. Two important activists were Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...
and his brother Amos Pinchot
Amos Pinchot
Amos Richards Eno Pinchot was an American reformist. He never held public office but managed to exert considerable influence in reformist circles and did much to keep progressive ideas alive in the 1920s....
.
Second, in July the Democrats nominated Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, their most articulate and prominent progressive. As a leading educator and political scientist, he qualified as the ideal "expert" to handle affairs of state, and attracted many of the independent progressives Roosevelt had been counting on.
Even some Republican progressives endorsed Wilson over Roosevelt as the best man to beat Taft, including La Follette and two other Senators.
The Progressive convention and platform
Despite these obstacles, the August convention opened with great enthusiasm. Over 2,000 delegates attended, including many women. In 1912, neither the other Republican candidate, President W. H. Taft, or the Democrat Woodrow Wilson, endorsed women's suffrage on the national level. The famed suffragette and social worker Jane AddamsJane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
gave a seconding speech for Roosevelt's nomination. Roosevelt insisted on excluding black Republicans from the South, whom he regarded a corrupt and ineffective element, but included black delegates from all other areas. Roosevelt went so far as to further alienate southern white supporters on the eve of the election, by publicly dining with blacks at a Rhode Island hotel.
Roosevelt was nominated by acclamation, with Johnson as his running mate.
The main work of the convention was the platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
, which set forth the new party's appeal to the voters. It included a broad range of social and political reforms advocated by progressives.
- A National Health Service to include all existing government medical agencies.
- Social insuranceSocial insuranceSocial insurance is any government-sponsored program with the following four characteristics:* the benefits, eligibility requirements and other aspects of the program are defined by statute;...
, to provide for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled - Limited injunctions in strikesStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
- A minimum wage lawMinimum wage lawMinimum wage law is the body of law which prohibits employers from hiring employees or workers for less than a given hourly, daily or monthly minimum wage. More than 90% of all countries have some kind of minimum wage legislation....
for women - An eight hour workdayEight-hour dayThe eight-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement, also known as the short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions...
- A federal securities commissionSecurities CommissionSecurities Commission a statutory body entrusted with the responsibility of regulating and systematically developing the capital markets in Malaysia.-History:...
- FarmFarmA farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
relief - Workers' compensationWorkers' compensationWorkers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
for work-related injuries - An inheritanceInheritanceInheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
tax - A Constitutional amendmentUnited States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
to allow a Federal income tax
The political reforms proposed included
- Women's suffrageWomen's suffrageWomen's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
- Direct electionDirect electionDirect election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
of SenatorsUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each... - Primary electionPrimary electionA primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s for state and federal nominations
The platform also urged states to adopt measures for "direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
", including:
- The recall electionRecall electionA recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
(citizens may remove an elected official before the end of his term) - The referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
(citizens may decide on a law by popular vote) - The initiativeInitiativeIn political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
(citizens may propose a law by petitionPetitionA petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
and enact it by popular vote) - Judicial recall (when a court declares a law unconstitutional, the citizens may override that ruling by popular vote)
However, the main theme of the platform was an attack on the domination of politics by business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
interests, which allegedly controlled both established parties. The platform asserted that
- To destroy this invisible Government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.
To that end, the platform called for
- Strict limits and disclosureDisclosureDisclosure may refer to:Philosophy*World disclosure, a term referring to the way that humans make sense of the world*Reflective disclosure, a term coined by philosopher Nikolas KompridisComputers...
requirements on political campaign contributions - Registration of lobbyists
- Recording and publication of Congressional committee proceedings
Besides these measures, the platform called for reductions in the tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
, limitations on naval armaments by international agreement and improvements to inland waterways
Inland waterways of the United States
The inland waterways of the United States include over 25,000 miles of navigable waters. Much of the commercially important waterways of the United States consist of the Mississippi River System—the Mississippi River and connecting waterways.Almost all of the navigable rivers and canals in...
.
The biggest controversy at the convention was over the platform section dealing with trusts
Trust (19th century)
A special trust or business trust is a business entity formed with intent to monopolize business, to restrain trade, or to fix prices. Trusts gained economic power in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some, but not all, were organized as trusts in the legal sense...
and monopolies
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
such as Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. The convention approved a strong "trust-busting" plank, but Roosevelt had it replaced with language that spoke only of "strong National regulation
Competition law
Competition law, known in the United States as antitrust law, is law that promotes or maintains market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies....
" and "permanent active [Federal] supervision" of major corporations. This retreat shocked reformers like Pinchot, who blamed it on Perkins (a director of U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
). The result was a deep split in the new party that was never resolved.
In general the platform expressed Roosevelt's "New Nationalism
New Nationalism
New Nationalism was Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive political philosophy during the 1912 election.-Overview:Roosevelt made the case for what he called the New Nationalism in a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, on August 31, 1910...
": a strong government to regulate industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, protect the middle
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and working classes, and carry on great national projects. This New Nationalism was paternalistic in direct contrast to Wilson's individualistic philosophy of "New Freedom
The New Freedom
The New Freedom comprises the campaign speeches and promises of Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 presidential campaign. They called for less government, but in practice as president he added new controls such as the Federal Reserve System and the Clayton Antitrust Act. More generally the "New Freedom" is...
".
Roosevelt also favored a vigorous foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
, including strong military power. Though the platform called for limiting naval armaments, it also recommended the construction of two new battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s per year, much to the distress of outright pacifists
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
such as Jane Addams.
Election of 1912
ile:Roosevelt and Johnson after nomination.jpgRoosevelt ran a vigorous campaign, but the campaign was short of money, as the business interests which had supported Roosevelt in 1904 either backed the other candidates or stayed neutral. Roosevelt was also handicapped by the fact that he had already served nearly two full terms as President, and thus was challenging the unwritten "no third term" rule.
In the end Roosevelt fell far short of winning. He drew 4.1 million votes - 27%, well behind Wilson's 42% but ahead of Taft's 23%. (6% went to Socialist
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
Eugene Debs). He received 88 electoral votes, compared to 435 for Wilson and 8 for Taft.
This was nonetheless the best showing by any third party since the modern two-party system was established in 1864. Roosevelt was the only third-party candidate to outpoll a candidate of an established party.
Many historians have concluded that the Republican split allowed Wilson to win the presidency. Others argue that even without the split, Wilson would have won (as he did in 1916).
In addition to Roosevelt's presidential campaign, hundreds of other candidates sought office as Progressives in 1912.
Twenty-one ran for governor. Over 200 ran for U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(the exact number is not clear because there were many Republican-Progressive fusion candidacies, and some candidates ran with the labels of ad hoc groups such as "Bull Moose Republicans" or (in Pennsylvania) the "Washington Party".
On October 14, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and still delivered his 90-minute presidential campaign speech as planned. The would-be assassin, John Schrank, claimed the ghost of William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
had appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to avenge his death by killing Roosevelt. Had it not been for the 50-page speech and steel eyeglass case he was carrying in his jacket, the bullet would have gone deeper into his chest and penetrated his lung. When asked if this would halter his election campaign, he said to the reporter "I'm fit as a bull moose," which inspired the party's emblem.
In California, the state Republican party was controlled by governor and Roosevelt ally Hiram Johnson, the Vice-Presidential nominee, so progressives there stayed with the Republican label (with one exception).
Most of the Progressive candidates were in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Only a few were in the South.
The lesser Progressive candidates generally got between 10% and 30% of the vote. Nine Progressives were elected to the House; none won governorships.
Some historians speculate that if the Progressive Party had run only the Roosevelt presidential ticket, it might have attracted many more Republicans willing to split their ballot. But the progressive movement was strongest at the state level, and, so the new party had fielded candidates for governor and state legislature. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, the local Republican boss, at odds with state party leaders, joined Roosevelt's cause.
In spite of this, very few Progressives were elected to local offices; about 250. The Democrats gained many state legislature seats, which gave them 10 additional U.S. Senate seats; they also gained 63 U.S. House seats.
1914
Despite the failure of 1912, the Progressive Party did not disappear at once. 138 candidates ran for the U.S. House as Progressives in 1914, and 5 won. However, almost half got only 10% or less of the vote.Hiram Johnson was denied renomination for Governor as a Republican; he ran as a Progressive and was re-elected. Seven other Progressives ran for governor; none got more than 16%.
Some state parties remained fairly strong. In Washington, Progressives won a third of the seats in the Washington State Legislature
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
1916
LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
businessman John M. Parker
John M. Parker
John Milliken Parker was an American Democratic politician from Louisiana, who served as the state's 37th Governor from 1920–1924. He was a friend and admirer of President Theodore Roosevelt....
ran for governor as a Progressive early in the year. (The Republican Party was deeply unpopular in Louisiana.) Parker got a respectable 37% of the vote. He was the only Progressive to run for governor that year.
Later that year, the party held its second national convention, in conjunction with the Republican national convention. This was to facilitate a possible reconciliation. Five delegates from each convention met to negotiate.
The Progressives wanted reunification, but with Roosevelt as nominee, which the Republicans adamantly opposed. Meanwhile, Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
, a moderate progressive, became the front-runner at the Republican convention, though opposed by many conservatives. The Progressives suggested Hughes as a compromise candidate. Then Roosevelt sent a message proposing conservative Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
Henry Cabot Lodge
Henry Cabot "Slim" Lodge was an American Republican Senator and historian from Massachusetts. He had the role of Senate Majority leader. He is best known for his positions on Meek policy, especially his battle with President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 over the Treaty of Versailles...
. The shocked Progressives immediately nominated Roosevelt again, with Parker as the Vice Presidential nominee.
Roosevelt refused to accept the nomination and endorsed Hughes, who was immediately approved by the Republican convention.
The national Progressive party promptly disintegrated. Nearly all Progressives reverted to the Republican Party, including Roosevelt, who stumped for Hughes, and Hiram Johnson, who was elected to the Senate as a Republican.
Some leaders, such as Harold Ickes
Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes was a United States administrator and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest serving Cabinet member in U.S. history next to James Wilson. Ickes...
of Chicago, supported Wilson.
Five Progressives were elected to the House in 1916, all with joint Republican backing except Whitmell Martin of Louisiana.
1918
All the remaining "Progressives" in Congress rejoined the Republican Party, except Martin, who became a Democrat. No candidates ran as Progressives for governor, Senator, or Representative.Later years
From 1916 to 1932 the Taft wing controlled the Republican Party and refused to nominate any prominent 1912 Progressives to the Republican national ticket. Finally, Frank KnoxFrank Knox
-External links:...
was nominated for Vice President in 1936.
The relative domination of the Republican Party by conservatives left many former Progressives with no real affiliation till the 1930s, when most joined the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
Democratic Party coalition of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
broke bitterly with Roosevelt in 1912, and ran for President on his own ticket, the 1924 Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1924)
The Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
, in 1924.
As of mid 2010, there has been a strong resurgence in the midwest. It is a grass roots effort; ostensibly the progressive counterpart to the Tea Party Movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
.
Office holders from the Progressive Party
| Position | Name | State | Dates held office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | James W. Bryan James W. Bryan James Wesley Bryan was a U.S. Representative from Washington.Born in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Bryan attended the public schools and Lake Charles College at Lake Charles, Louisiana.... |
Washington | 1913-15 |
| Representative | Walter M. Chandler Walter M. Chandler Walter Marion Chandler was a Progressive and later a Republican U.S. Representative from New York.Born near Yazoo City, Mississippi, Chandler attended public schools, the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, and the University of Mississippi at Oxford... |
New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
1913-19 |
| Representative | Ira Clifton Copley Ira Clifton Copley Ira Clifton Copley was a United States statesman and newspaper publisher.-Biography:... |
Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
1915-17 as a Progressive |
| Representative | John Elston | California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
1915-17 as a Progressive, 1917-1921 as a Republican |
| Lieutenant Governor Lieutenant Governor of California The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms... |
John Morton Eshleman John Morton Eshleman John Morton Eshleman was an American lawyer and politician from California. He was Lieutenant Governor of California from 1915 to 1916.... |
California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
1915-17 |
| Representative | Jacob Falconer Jacob Falconer Jacob Alexander Falconer was a U.S. Representative from Washington.Born in Ontario, Canada, Falconer moved with his parents to Saugatuck, Michigan, in 1873.He attended the public schools.He moved to Washburn, Wisconsin.... |
Washington | 1913-15 |
| Representative | William H. Hinebaugh William H. Hinebaugh William Henry Hinebaugh was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born near Marshall, Michigan, Hinebaugh attended the common schools, Litchfield High School, the Michigan State Normal School William Henry Hinebaugh (December 16, 1867 - September 22, 1943) was a U.S. Representative from... |
Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
1913-15 |
| Representative | Willis J. Hulings | Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
1913-15 |
| Governor Governor of California The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced... |
Hiram Johnson Hiram Johnson Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:... |
California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
1911–1917 |
| Representative | Melville Clyde Kelly Melville Clyde Kelly Melville Clyde Kelly was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:M. Clyde Kelly was born in Bloomfield, Ohio. He attended Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio... |
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
1917-19 as a Progressive, 1919-1935 as a Republican |
| Representative | William MacDonald William Josiah MacDonald William Josiah MacDonald was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.MacDonald was born in Potosi, Wisconsin. He attended the common schools and graduated from the high school at Fairmont, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis and Georgetown Law School in... |
Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
1913-15 |
| Representative | Whitmell Martin | Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
1915-19 as a Progressive, 1919-1929 as a Democrat |
| Senator | Miles Poindexter Miles Poindexter Miles Poindexter was an American politician. As a Republican and later a Progressive, he served as a United States Representative and United States Senator.-Early life:Poindexter was born in Memphis, Tennessee... |
Washington | 1913-15 |
| Representative | William Stephens William Stephens William Dennison Stephens was an American federal and state politician. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1916, Stephens was also the 24th Governor of California from 1917 to 1923.... |
California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
1913-17 |
| Representative | Henry Wilson Temple Henry Wilson Temple Henry Wilson Temple was a Progressive and a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.... |
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
1913-15 |
| Representative | Roy Woodruff | Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
1913-15 |
| State Treasurer New York State Treasurer The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the new Department of Audit and Control headed by the... |
Homer D. Call Homer D. Call Homer D. Call was an American labor leader and politician.-Life:On October 1, 1861, he enrolled at Cortland, New York, and was mustered in as corporal of the 76th NY Volunteers to fight in the American Civil War. On December 13, 1862, he was wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg... |
New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
1914 |
| Mayor | Louis Will Louis Will Louis Will was Progressive Party mayor of Syracuse during 1914-16. He was the only third party candidate elected mayor of Syracuse in the last century... |
Syracuse, New York Syracuse, New York Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603... |
1914-16 |
| Representative | Parley P. Christensen Parley P. Christensen Parley Parker Christensen was an American politician and nominee of the Farmer-Labor Party for President of the United States in 1920. He was member of the Utah House of Representatives and of the Los Angeles, California, City Council... |
Utah | 1914–16 |
See also
- Lincoln-Roosevelt LeagueLincoln-Roosevelt LeagueThe Lincoln–Roosevelt League was founded in 1907 by California journalists Chester H. Rowell of the Fresno Morning Republican and Edward Dickson of the Los Angeles Express. Initially, it was a coalition of progressive Republican activists...
, the California Progressive Party in the early 1900s - Progressive Party (United States, 1924)Progressive Party (United States, 1924)The Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
- Progressive Party (United States, 1948)Progressive Party (United States, 1948)The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a left-wing political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948.-Foundation:...
External links
- TeddyRoosevelt.com: Bull Moose Information
- 1912 platform of the Progressive Party
- http://bullmoosemovement.com/
Category:Political parties established in 1912
Category:Defunct political parties in the United States
Category:History of the United States (1865–1918)
Category:Theodore Roosevelt
Category:Democratic socialist and social democratic parties and organizations in the United States
Category:1912 establishments in the United States
Category:Progressive Era in the United States
lt:Jungtinių Valstijų Progresinė partija
nl:Progressieve Partij (Verenigde Staten, 1912)
no:Progressive Party (1912)
ru:Прогрессивная партия (США, 1912)
fi:Progressiivinen puolue (1912)
sv:Progressiva partiet (USA)
uk:Прогресивна партія США (1912 року)