New Nationalism (Theodore Roosevelt) facts for kids
New Nationalism was a special set of ideas and goals that Theodore Roosevelt shared with the public. He announced these ideas as part of his Progressive political platform (a plan for what a government should do) during the 1912 election. It was his vision for how the United States should move forward.
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What Was the New Nationalism?
The New Nationalism was Theodore Roosevelt's plan for a stronger federal government. He believed this strong government could protect ordinary people. It would also make sure that big businesses acted fairly.
Roosevelt's Big Speech
Roosevelt first talked about "the New Nationalism" in a speech. This happened in Osawatomie, Kansas, on August 31, 1910. He explained his ideas for the country's future.
He said that the government should protect people's well-being. This was more important than protecting just property. He believed a strong national government was needed. It would help control the economy and ensure fairness for everyone.
Roosevelt thought that large industries were a natural part of the economy. But he wanted government agencies to oversee them. These agencies would make sure businesses treated workers fairly. This included protecting men, women, and children from unfair treatment.
Ideas for Society and the Economy
The New Nationalism platform included many ideas for improving society. It also had plans for how the economy should work. These ideas were very popular with people who wanted progress and change.
Here are some of the key proposals:
- A national health service to help everyone get medical care.
- Social insurance to support older people, those without jobs, and people with disabilities.
- Rules to limit how courts could stop worker strikes.
- A law to set a minimum wage for women workers.
- An eight-hour workday for many jobs.
- A federal group to watch over how stocks and bonds are sold.
- Help for farmers to make their lives better.
- Payments for workers who get hurt on the job.
- A tax on money or property inherited from someone who has died.
- A change to the U.S. Constitution to allow a federal income tax.
Changes to Elections
Roosevelt also wanted to make changes to how elections worked. He believed these changes would make the government more responsive to the people.
His ideas for election reform included:
- Giving women the right to vote.
- Letting people directly elect their Senators. Before this, state lawmakers chose Senators.
- Using primary elections to choose candidates. This would let voters pick who would run for office.
Controlling Big Business
A main goal of the New Nationalism was to stop big businesses from having too much power. Roosevelt felt that business interests controlled politics. He believed they influenced both major political parties.
The platform stated that it was important to "destroy this invisible Government." This meant breaking the link between corrupt business and corrupt politics.
To achieve this, the platform suggested:
- Strict limits on how much money could be given to political campaigns.
- Rules to make sure these donations were made public.
- Making lobbyists (people who try to influence lawmakers) register with the government.
- Recording and publishing what happened in Congressional committee meetings.
How New Nationalism Was Influenced
The ideas for New Nationalism came from different places. A book called The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly was very important. It was written in 1909 and helped shape Roosevelt's thinking.
New Nationalism was different from Woodrow Wilson's plan, called The New Freedom. Wilson wanted to break up big companies. He also wanted to lower taxes on imported goods and change banking rules. Roosevelt, however, thought big companies could be useful if regulated.
Historians like Lewis L. Gould have noted that the Progressive Party's ideas were a step towards future government programs. They were similar in spirit to the "New Deal" programs. These programs were created later by Franklin D. Roosevelt to help the country during the Great Depression.
Important Quotes
Theodore Roosevelt shared many powerful ideas about New Nationalism. Here are some of his famous words:
- "I do not ask for overcentralization; but I do ask that we work in a spirit of broad and far-reaching nationalism when we work for what concerns our people as a whole. We are all Americans. Our common interests are as broad as the continent. I speak to you here in Kansas exactly as I would speak in New York or Georgia, for the most vital problems are those which affect us all alike."
- "The essence of any struggle for healthy liberty has always been, and must always be, to take from some one man or class of men the right to enjoy power, or wealth, or position, or immunity, which has not been earned by service to his or their fellows. That is what you fought for in the Civil War, and that is what we strive for now."
- "We grudge no man a fortune in civil life if it is honorably obtained and well used. It is not even enough that it should have gained without doing damage to the community. We should permit it to be gained only so long as the gaining represents benefit to the community."
