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The Bully Pulpit
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism
The Bully Pulpit (2013) follows three intricately linked strands of American history: the life of president Theodore Roosevelt, the emergence of a class of progressive investigative journalists, and the life of William Howard Taft and his complicated relationship with Roosevelt.
- People interested in American history
- Those curious about the relationship between journalism and politics
- Anyone wanting to know more about Theodore Roosevelt or William Howard Taft
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a historian, political commentator and the bestselling author of several presidential biographies. Her book, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for History.
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The Bully Pulpit
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism
- Read in 21 minutes
- Audio & text available
- Contains 13 key ideas
Synopsis
The Bully Pulpit (2013) follows three intricately linked strands of American history: the life of president Theodore Roosevelt, the emergence of a class of progressive investigative journalists, and the life of William Howard Taft and his complicated relationship with Roosevelt.
Key idea 1 of 13
Theodore Roosevelt was widely popular and enacted great changes for the United States.
In 1901, an anarchist assassinated William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt, who, at the age of 42, was the country’s youngest president to date.
When Roosevelt took office, the country wasn’t faced with war, a revolution or an economic crisis; however, he was still confronted with a serious challenge: poorly regulated corporations had begun expanding rapidly after the Industrial Revolution, at the expense of the people.
Entire industries, such as the meat industry, were now controlled by large trusts, which could set unreasonable prices and unfair trade conditions. The six largest beef packers, which included Armour & Co. and Swift & Co., were secretly rigging the prices of meat. Costs rose so precipitately that poor families could barely afford it.
Furthermore, these companies weren’t bound by regulations on safety or payment. Workers suffered in dangerous conditions, for long hours and little pay. Even food and drugs were unregulated. Expanding industries plundered natural resources, destroying forests and contaminating water reserves.
By setting up an ethical framework for the American economy, Roosevelt sought to change all this. He wanted to set fair conditions to regulate the relationships between consumers, workers and businesses.
So Roosevelt began fighting corruption by intervening when trusts threatened to control industries. In 1905, for example, he had his attorney general file a suit that broke the beef trust apart.
Roosevelt also strengthened labor rights, imposed limits on the length of the workday, preserved vast forests and began regulating the food and drug industry. In 1906, Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, both of which aimed to protect consumers from spoiled or dangerous goods.
Key ideas in this title
- Theodore Roosevelt was widely popular and enacted great changes for the United States.
- Roosevelt was born into privilege but grappled with illnesses and devastating losses in his early adulthood.
- Roosevelt got into politics by fighting injustice and rose quickly in the public arena.
- Ironically, infighting in Roosevelt’s party helped further his career.
- Roosevelt had a strong relationship with progressive journalists.
- A group of critical and influential progressive journalists set out to expose social injustices.
- Roosevelt aimed to diminish the power of trusts with the help of the press.
- The press and Roosevelt both faced big challenges with corruption.
- William Howard Taft was an outstanding lawyer and a popular politician.
- Taft and Roosevelt were friends and allies, and Roosevelt selected Taft as his successor.
- Roosevelt was disappointed with Taft’s policies as president.
- Roosevelt considered Taft’s politics a stab in the back, but the pair made amends before Roosevelt’s death.
- Final summary
