Teddy Roosevelt Dbq Progressive or Conformist

Many people can argue the case that Theodore Roosevelt was in fact a progressive reformer. But what exactly is a progressive reformer? A progressive reformer can be classified as someone who advocates the advancement of workers rights and social justice. They strongly opposed waste and corruption. They pushed for social justice, general equality and public safety. In this regard Theodore Roosevelt was a progressive reformer. Theodore Roosevelt was very much into protecting our environment. He often spoke of the destruction caused by man against the environment. In one of his speeches he said "those lumber companies…have desired to get possession of the valuable timber of the public domain, to skin the land, and to abandon it when impoverished well-nigh to the point of worthlessness" He later says that because of this reason, forest reserves are needed and only the government can deal with this specific issue. (Document A) Roosevelt also created the first national bird reserve on Pelican Island in Florida. Roosevelt also greatly contributed to this cause, in fact more then any other president before him by setting aside 194 million acres for national parks and nature preserves. Roosevelt was widely known as being an environmentalist and visited Yosemite Valley in 1903. Roosevelt was also known as a "trust buster." He indicted over 25 trusts, and was known as being against big business. He protected the middle and lower classes from the elite, which ironically he belonged to. "I believe in the larger use of the governmental power to help remedy industrial wrongs" this is something that Roosevelt has said in one of his speeches, claiming that he is using every means that he has to punish those that are corrupt. (Document G) Roosevelt was leading a new and better era of living. He was cleaning up the filth of the country. He had backed up the muckrakers who were doing a great