Question

What progressive actions did President Roosevelt take against large corporations and railroads?

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Roosevelt pushed several pieces of domestic legislation through Congress that embodied the Progressive reform movement. Progressivism was a powerful political and social force by the turn of the century, and many Americans considered Roosevelt as the leader of the Progressive movement. To most contemporaries, Progressivism meant the use of science, engineering, technology, and the new social sciences to promote modernization and identify solutions to political corruption and inefficiency. Roosevelt, trained as a biologist, identified himself and his programs with this scientific approach to targeting and eliminating social and political ills.

Progressives such as Roosevelt also bitterly attacked what they perceived as elitist, powerful, and dangerous political machines and large corporations called “trusts,” which were considered unfair and illegal business ventures designed to quash natural market competition and production. While president, Roosevelt targeted these trusts, particularly the railroad monopolies, by increasing the regulatory power of the federal government through the Elkins Act (1903) and the Hepburn Act (1906). The Hepburn Act of 1906 gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) the power to set maximum railroad rates and auditing power over the railroads’ financial records, a task simplified by standardized booking systems. Through the Hepburn Act, the ICC’s authority was extended to cover bridges, terminals, ferries, sleeping cars, express companies, and oil pipelines.