James Frawley

Mr. McGoldrick
US History
27 May 2014
Identifications: Chapter 26
William Taft This Ohio attorney and judge was appointed by William McKinley as the
first governor of the Philippines after the islands became American territory. He
performed so well in this task that Theodore Roosevelt made him secretary of war and
then suggested the American people elect him president, which they did upon
Roosevelts departure in 1908. Taft busted trusts like standard oil and American
Tobacco, but he favored the highly protective Payne-Aldrich Tariff and lost the
confidence of Roosevelt and other Progressives. TR tried to win the Republican
nomination for the presidency in 1912 to reclaim ground for the Republican Old Guard,
but was rejected by his old party. Taft went on to lose the election when TR helped
launch the progressive party and ran against his protg. The split between TR and Taft
was a bitter feud, but Taft eventually received the slot he most desired. Warren G.
Harding placed him on the Supreme Court as chief justice. He formed a solidly
conservative bench in the 1920s with pro-business and anti-labor decisions. His
viewpoint was that he could improve the US relations with other countries. He is
significant today because he is the only person who has been both president and chief
justice of the US.
Trust Busting It is a collection of federal and state government laws, which regulates
the conduct and organization of business corporations, generally to promote fair
competition for the benefit of consumers. The main statutes are the Sherman Act 1890,
the Clayton Act 1914 and the Federal Trade Commission Act 1914. These Acts, first,
restrict the formation of cartels and prohibit other collusive practices regarded as being in
restraint of trade. Second, they restrict the mergers and acquisitions of organizations,
which could substantially lessen competition. Third, they prohibit the creation of a
monopoly and the abuse of monopoly power. Its viewpoint was that the regulation of
businesses would make businesses less powerful. It is significant today because it
stopped companies from becoming monopolies in their business.
Muckraker It refers to reform-minded journalists who wrote largely for all popular
magazines and continued a tradition of investigative journalism reporting; muckrakers
often worked to expose social ills and corporate and political corruption. Muckraking
magazines took on corporate monopolies and crooked political machines while raising
public awareness of chronic urban poverty, unsafe working conditions, and social issues
like child labor. The muckrakers are most commonly associated with the Progressive Era
period of American history. The journalistic movement emerged in the United States
after 1900 and continued to be influential until World War I, when the movement came to
an end through a combination of advertising boycotts, dirty tricks and patriotism. Their
viewpoint was that they could help reform businesses by making conditions of workers
and the poor more apparent to the society. They are significant today because they
worked for the trust busting effort that shaped regulation of companies.
Yellow Journalism Also known as the yellow press, is a type of journalism that
presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching
headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news
events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism. By extension, the term yellow journalism
is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional
or unethical fashion. Its viewpoint was that their information could be used to raise
awareness of injustice. It is significant today because it helped the reform movement at
the time tremendously.
White Mans Burden [Rudyard Kipling] It is a poem by the English poet Rudyard
Kipling. It was originally published in the popular magazine McClure's in 1899, with the
subtitle The United States and the Philippine Islands. The poem was originally written
for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, but exchanged for "Recessional"; Kipling changed
the text of "Burden" to reflect the subject of American colonization of the Philippines,
recently won from Spain in the Spanish-American War. The poem consists of seven
stanzas, following a regular rhyme scheme. At face value it appears to be a rhetorical
command to white men to colonize and rule other nations for the benefit of those people,
both the people and the duty may be seen as representing the "burden" of the title. Its
viewpoint is one of promotion of colonization. It is significant today because it involved
the US colonization of the Philippines.
Panama Canal It is a 77.1-kilometre (48 mi) ship canal in Panama that connects the
Atlantic Ocean, via the Caribbean Sea, to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the
Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks
at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount
of excavation work required for the canal, 85 feet above sea level. The current locks are
110 feet wide. A third, wider lane of locks is currently under construction and is due to
open in 2015. France began work on the canal in 1881, but had to stop because of
engineering problems and high mortality due to disease. The United States took over the
project in 1904, and took a decade to complete the canal, which was officially opened on
August 15, 1914. Its viewpoint is that trade would be easier if there were an all water
route. It is significant today because it greatly improved the shipping and trading
industry.
Elkins Act It is a 1903 United States federal law that amended the Interstate Commerce
Act of 1887. The Act authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to impose heavy
fines on railroads that offered rebates, and upon the shippers that accepted these rebates.
The railroad companies were not permitted to offer rebates. Railroad corporations, their
officers, and their employees, were all made liable for discriminatory practices. Prior to
the Elkins Act, the livestock and petroleum industries paid standard rail shipping rates,
but then would demand that the railroad company give them rebates. The railroad
companies resented being extorted by the railroad trusts and therefore welcomed passage
of the Elkins Act. The law was sponsored by President Theodore Roosevelt as a part of
his "Square Deal" domestic program, and greatly boosted his popularity. Its viewpoint
was that they could do away with rebates railroads give to their large shipping company
allies. It is significant today because it made the shipping and trading business more fair
and simple for smaller companies.
Hepburn Act It is a 1906 United States federal law that gave the Interstate Commerce
Commission the power to set maximum railroad rates and extend its jurisdiction. This led
to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. In addition, the ICC could view
the railroads' financial records, a task simplified by standardized bookkeeping systems.
For any railroad that resisted, the ICC's conditions would remain in effect until the
outcome of legislation said otherwise. The Hepburn Act extended the ICCs authority to
cover bridges, terminals, ferries, railroad sleeping cars, express companies and oil
pipelines. Its viewpoint was that it could put an end to favoritism by railroad companies.
It is significant today because it was another step toward regulation of businesses.
Progressive It was a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in
the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It
arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of
large corporations and railroads, and fears of corruption in American politics. In the 21st
century, progressives continue to embrace concepts such as environmentalism and social
justice. Social progressivism, the view that governmental practices ought to be adjusted
as society evolves, forms the ideological basis for many American progressives. Their
viewpoint was reform and furthering the middle class. They are significant today
because they were involved in shaping the modernist movement in America.
Gentlemans Agreement It is an informal and legally non-binding agreement between
two or more parties. It is typically oral, though it may be written, or simply understood
as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette.
The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties for
its fulfillment, rather than being in any way enforceable. It is, therefore, distinct from a
legal agreement or contract, which can be enforced if necessary. Its viewpoint was that
two parties could make an agreement that both would honor without having to have legal
precautions. It is significant today because it was a widely used form of agreement in our
history.