History Essay

Sagar Desai
History Winter Interm
12-22-2012
Test 1 In the long history of our presidency I believe the three most influential presidents between the years 1877-1953 were Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman. By contrast I will compare them to the three presidents during this time who I believe were on the other end of the spectrum who are, Herbert Hoover, Warren G. Harding, and William McKinley. Upon victory of the Presidential race of 1904 Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed “ I am no longer a political accident” (Theodore Roosevelt National Park Summary). Roosevelt became president after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 and the progressive movement gained its most promising leader. Roosevelt believed that the president could do anything that the constitution did not specifically prohibit. He stated, “Under this interpretation of executive power…I did and caused to be done many things not previously done...I did not usurp power, but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power” (The American Journey 616). Roosevelt’s expansion of government power and its consolidation in the executive branch were some of his most significant accomplishments. Roosevelt was also a great political figure in the fact that he solved many international problems and had a firm hand on domestic affairs. He realized the need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans so he passed the act to start building the Panama Canal in 1903. Roosevelt also played an important role in foreign policy such as when he won the adoption of the Drago Doctorine, which prevented the use of forces collecting foreign debt.
You are engaged on a double task, recovery and reform….recovery from the slump, and passage from those business and social reforms which are long overdue” (Documents for America’s History).
As the country was sinking further into depression Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed forward an unprecedented program to resolve the crisis of a collapsing financial system, crippling unemployment, and agricultural and industrial breakdown. John Maynard Keynes wrote to Franklin Roosevelt “In the first three months of his presidency Roosevelt passed several major laws to promote reform. Some of the laws he provided were the Emergency Banking Act (stabilized the private banking system) and the Home Owners Loan Act (Protected homeowners from mortgage foreclosure by refinancing home loans). He incorporated principals from the progressive movement and used a mix of ideas from himself, a diverse group of advisors which included academic experts, politicians, and social workers. Roosevelt also helped the unemployed when he passed the Federal Emergency Relief Administration which furnished funds to state and local agencies. Instead of just providing cash this plan created jobs which preserved both the skills and morale of the recipients to the plan. Roosevelt’s New Deal helped women and minorities gain opportunities to participate in American society, and southerners and westerners benefited from government programs they turned to their own advantage.
Upon the sudden death of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman was sworn into presidency and he had intimate knowledge of the nation 's tremendously intricate war and foreign policies. During these times Europe was encompassed by war and Truman established peace and “held back Soviet expansion and built economic and political stability through the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization” (The New York Times). In the Far East Truman brought forth peace and constitutional democracy on the Japanese enemy, tried to save China from Communism and chose to wage war in Korea to halt aggression. In the United States, Truman led the nation 's conversion from war to peace, while maintaining a stable and prosperous economy.
The biggest failure during President Hoover’s presidency was of the downturn of our economy, which led to the Great Depression. Hoover rejected government action toward helping achieve economic order so he depended on voluntary efforts to relieve the misery caused by massive unemployment. Hoover “created the President’s Organization for Unemployment Relief to help raise private funds for voluntary relief agencies” (The American Journey 721). Though his intentions were for a good cause they proved to be disastrous because private programs to aid the unemployed hardly existed. Company plans for unemployment compensation covered less than 1 percent of workers, which showed the charade of the welfare capitalism of the 1920’s. Hoover refused to admit that these private funds were inadequate. Another act, which gained Hoover unpopularity, was when when Hoover did not compensate payment demanded by members of the Bonus Army. Hoover tried to evict the veterans and ultimately ended up dispersing the veterans and their families and setting their camps on fire when the veterans erected a shantytown at the edge of Washington. During Warren G. Harding’s presidency several industries presented a drag on the economy. Coal mining, textiles, garment manufacturing, and railroads suffered from excess capacity, shrinking demand, low returns, and management-labor conflicts. Harding was seen as neither capable or bright and one critic described a Harding speech as “an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea” (The American Journey 691). One of the biggest flaws of Harding’s presidency was that of government corruption. Harding extended a green light to private interests groups that led to corruptions and scandals. Harding appointed many friends and cronies who saw public service as an opportunity for graft. One of his colleagues the Secretary of the interior, Albert Fall, leased petroleum reserves set aside by progressive conservationists to oil companies in exchange for cash, bonds, and cattle for his New Mexico ranch.
William McKinley faced several domestic issues with race being a major one. Unwilling to alienate the white South, the President did little to address the growing disfranchisement and exclusion of black Americans from political power. McKinley denounced lynching in his 1897 inaugural address but failed to condemn that practice formally. He also refrained from taking action to curtail the general anti-black violence in the South that had reached near epidemic proportions in the last four years of the century. Instead, McKinley 's initiatives in race relations were largely cosmetic. He appointed thirty African Americans to "positions of consequence," which were principally in diplomatic and records offices, but that number fell far short of what black Republicans had wanted from the leader of Abraham Lincoln 's party. During the Spanish-American War, he countermanded orders preventing the recruitment and service of black soldiers. Neither of these actions did much to stem the deteriorating position of blacks in American society. An act that angered labor unions nvolved the President 's use of federal troops to keep order during a strike of mine workers in Coeur d 'Alene, Idaho where miners were shot and killed.
Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman used their political savvy to create economic and social reforms to turn our country around from trying times. They were progressive not only in domestic affairs but also international issues which arised. Herbert Hoover, Warren G. Harding, and William McKinley received criticism of their policies that provided a downturn to our economy through misguided actions and corruption within their systems. Domestic issues also came into criticism when William McKinley did not take a pro-active stance towards the issue of race relations.

Bibliography
Abbot, C.A. (2011). The American Journey a History of the United States. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall

Edwards, R.E. (2012). Documents for America’s History 7th Edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins

Whitmen, A.E. (2010). Harry S. Truman: Decisive President. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0508.html

Theodore Roosevelt: Presidential Accomplishments. http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html

National Park Summary Document. http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html

Bibliography: Abbot, C.A. (2011). The American Journey a History of the United States. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Edwards, R.E. (2012). Documents for America’s History 7th Edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins Whitmen, A.E. (2010). Harry S. Truman: Decisive President. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0508.html Theodore Roosevelt: Presidential Accomplishments. http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html National Park Summary Document. http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html