The New Freedom facts for kids

The New Freedom was the main plan Woodrow Wilson had when he ran for president in the 1912 United States presidential election. It also describes the important changes Wilson made during his first term as president, from 1913 to 1916. During this time, the Democrats were in charge of Congress.

Wilson first talked about "The New Freedom" in his speeches and promises during the election. Later, in 1913, he wrote a book with the same name. His plan focused on three main areas:

• Fairer Taxes: This happened with the Underwood Tariff Act of 1913. It lowered taxes on imported goods for the first time in many years. This was a big change from the usual practice of protecting American businesses with high taxes.
• Better Business Rules: New laws were passed to make sure businesses played fair. The Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 created the Federal Trade Commission. This group could investigate and stop unfair business actions. The Clayton Antitrust Act also helped by stopping big companies from becoming too powerful.
• Banking Changes: In 1913, the Federal Reserve System was created. This system helps manage the country's money supply and banks. In 1916, the Federal Farm Loan Act was passed. It set up special banks to help farmers get loans.

Wilson's Plan in the 1912 Election

In the 1912 election, Wilson's "New Freedom" plan was different from Theodore Roosevelt's "New Nationalism." Roosevelt was running for the Progressive Party. They disagreed especially on how to handle big businesses.

Wilson believed that if America didn't have free business, people wouldn't have any freedom at all. He warned that Roosevelt's "New Nationalism" was about the government controlling too much. Wilson's "New Freedom" was about giving people political and economic freedom from powerful monopolies (called "trusts"). These trusts were huge companies that controlled entire industries.

Wilson was greatly influenced by his main economic advisor, Louis D. Brandeis. Brandeis was against big businesses and monopolies. Both Wilson and Roosevelt agreed that trusts were misusing their power. However, they had different ideas about how the government should stop this. Wilson wanted to break up companies that had too much power.

Wilson as President

Once he became president, Wilson started many social and economic changes. In 1916, he appointed Brandeis to the US Supreme Court. Wilson worked with Congress to pass laws that helped people.

• Federal employees received worker's compensation. This meant they got help if they were hurt at work.
• The Keating–Owen Act tried to stop child labor. However, this act was later found to be against the Constitution in 1918.
• The Adamson Act gave railroad workers a maximum eight-hour workday.
• The most important law was the Clayton Act of 1914. This law clearly listed the unfair business practices that companies were not allowed to do. It largely settled the issue of trusts.

By the end of Wilson's time as president, many progressive laws had been passed. These laws affected not only business and government rules but also farmers, workers, veterans, and the environment. However, Wilson's reforms didn't go as far as what Roosevelt had wanted, like a standard 40-hour work week or minimum wage laws.

Wilson believed in progressive politics for most of his life. As governor of New Jersey, he signed many reform laws. These included laws for meal breaks for workers and rules about working hours and safety. Wilson also supported laws that helped workers. He once said that the government should do more to make factories safe and ensure fair working conditions.

Wilson also wrote about the government's role in helping people. He believed the government should provide insurance for workers and care for the poor. He thought that helping the poor and improving their living conditions was as important as education.

In his 1912 campaign speeches, Wilson often talked about the need for social justice in America. He spoke about making sure there was no overcrowding, bad sanitation, or avoidable diseases. He also wanted to protect women from impossible tasks and children from working too young. He believed that society must protect its people from the harsh effects of big industries.

Wilson also said that the government should serve all people. He noted that the government had neglected some ways of caring for its citizens. He believed the government should prevent accidents, unreasonable working hours, and the overworking of women and children.

He also spoke about helping people escape poverty. He said that the country must work to free the poor from their burdens.

Even though the government's role grew under Wilson, the "New Freedom" didn't always go as far as his speeches suggested. For example, while he supported benefits for workers like pensions, his administration didn't pass laws to extend these benefits to everyone. A national health insurance system, like Roosevelt wanted, was also not created. Still, "The New Freedom" greatly increased the federal government's power in social and economic matters. It helped set the stage for future reform programs like the New Deal and the Great Society.

Key Laws and Programs

Many important laws and programs were created during Wilson's presidency. These helped different groups of people and areas of life.

Helping Farmers

• The Department of Agriculture started focusing on helping farmers with fair prices and better ways to manage their farms.
• The Federal Reserve Act allowed national banks to lend money using farm mortgages.
• The Federal Reserve Board made it easier for banks to lend money to farmers.
• The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 helped create a system of local agents to teach farmers better ways to grow crops and raise animals.
• The Cotton Warehouse Act (1914) helped farmers get loans by making their warehouse receipts more acceptable to banks.
• Interest rates for farmers generally went down by 1 to 3%.
• The government provided money at low rates to help move crops to market.
• Funding was increased to fight animal diseases like cattle tick and hog cholera.
• A service was set up to provide news about markets and livestock.
• The tariff (tax on imports) was changed to help farmers. Many farm-related items, like machinery, were put on a "free list" so they wouldn't be taxed.
• A survey of farm women in 1913 helped shape policies for farm families for decades.
• The Agricultural Extension Act (1914) gave federal money to state colleges to help farmers in rural areas.
• The Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 provided federal loans to small farmers through cooperatives.
• The Warehouse Act of 1916 and the Stock-Raising Homestead Act of 1916 also helped farmers.
• The Grain Standards Act of 1916 made sure grains were properly graded and inspected.
• From 1918 to 1931, emergency seed loans were given to farmers who faced hardships like droughts or floods.

Helping Workers

• An investigation into coal fields in West Virginia led to gains for workers, including an 8-hour day and the right to form unions.
• An 8-hour workday was approved for employees under the Alaskan coal act in 1914.
• The Locomotive Boiler Inspection Act was expanded in 1915 to cover more parts of trains.
• Government printing office employees got more paid leave (from 26 to 30 days per year) in 1915.
• In 1915, licensed officers on ships were given the right to quit and report safety issues without fear.
• The Bureau of Mines Act was strengthened, adding new safety and experiment stations in 1915.
• Work became steadier for employees in government naval yards.
• Wages for metal-trade mechanics working for the government were increased.
• Investigations into labor disputes in Colorado and Michigan showed very bad working conditions.
• Piecework (being paid by how much you produce) was stopped in the Post Office Department in Washington, D.C.
• The Department of Labor received more money to do its work during Wilson's first term.
• Wage cuts and rent collections for employees in the Panama Canal Zone were stopped.
• Certain "speeding up" methods in factories were banned in government facilities in 1914.
• The federal 8-hour law for government contractors was made much stronger.
• More money was given to the Public Health Service to hire more trained officers.
• Post Office employees were covered by the Compensation for Injuries Act in 1914.
• The La Follette–Peters Act (1914) set an eight-hour workday for most women workers in Washington, D.C.
• The Seamen's Act of 1915 protected merchant sailors from unfair practices like long hours and poor pay.
• The Adamson Act gave railroad workers on interstate routes an eight-hour workday.
• The Clayton Act strengthened rules against monopolies and protected farm cooperatives and labor unions. This meant strikes and boycotts were no longer automatically seen as illegal.
• A law was passed in 1918 setting minimum wages for women and children in Washington, D.C.
• The Women's Bureau Act of 1920 created a Women's Bureau to improve conditions and opportunities for working women.
• The Child Labor Tax Law (1919) put a 10% tax on profits of factories and mines that employed children. This law set minimum ages for workers and limited working hours for minors. The number of working children fell by 50% while this law was in effect (until 1922, when it was ruled unconstitutional).
• The Workingmen's Compensation Act (Kern–McGillicuddy Act) provided compensation for injured workers.
• Other important acts included the Keating–Owen Act, the Kern Resolution of 1913, the Saboth Act of 1913, the Newlands Labor Act of 1913, the Federal Boiler Inspection Act of 1915, the Occupancy Permits Act of 1915, the Fraudulent Advertising Act of 1916, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, and the Esch–Cummins Act of 1920.

Wartime Efforts

• A National War Labor Board was created. It improved working conditions in factories by pushing for an eight-hour workday, no child labor, and better safety.
• The United States Housing Corporation (1918) built homes for workers during the war.
• The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1918 protected soldiers and sailors from certain financial problems while they were serving.
• The Children's Bureau launched a national health education program called "Children's Year" in 1918. This campaign provided information on caring for babies and led to states setting up child health divisions.

Helping Veterans

• The War Risk Insurance Act of 1914 and 1917 provided insurance and support for soldiers and their families.
• The Rehabilitation Law of 1919 helped disabled veterans by providing money for tuition, books, and living expenses.
• Congress passed laws in 1917 and 1918 to fund farm colonies for disabled soldiers, though these didn't last long.
• The Public Health Service became responsible for hospitalizing veterans under the War Risk Insurance Act (1919).
• Pension rules were made more generous for war widows.
• The Smith-Sears Vocational Rehabilitation Act (1918) helped veterans with disabilities get back to civilian jobs after World War I.
• The Bureau of War Risk Insurance sent regular checks to 2.1 million families of soldiers by the end of World War I.

Education Changes

• The 1914 Smith–Lever Act connected vocational education (job training) in home economics and agriculture to colleges.
• The Smith–Hughes Vocational Education Act expanded on this, supporting teacher training and instruction in various jobs, home economics, and agriculture.
• The Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1920 (Smith-Fess Act) created a program to help civilians with disabilities get job training.
• The Industry Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1920 (Smith-Bankhead Act) provided federal money to states to help people disabled in industrial accidents.

Constitutional Updates

• The Jones Act (Philippines) of 1916 changed how the Philippines was governed.
• The Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917 gave US citizenship to people in Puerto Rico.
• The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution created the federal income tax.
• The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution allowed people to directly elect their senators. Before this, state legislatures chose senators.
• The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed in 1920, giving women the right to vote.
• Mother's Day became an official national holiday in 1914.

Environment and Public Works

• Several River and Harbors Acts (1914, 1915, 1916) were passed to improve waterways.
• The Irrigation District Act of 1916 (Smith Act) helped with irrigation projects.
• The Flood Control Act of 1917 (Ransdell-Humphreys Act) aimed to control floods.
• The Federal Water Power Act of 1920 (Esch Act) regulated water power.

Protecting Nature

• A federal act created the National Park Service. This agency brought together many historical sites, monuments, and national parks under one management.
• The Glacier National Park Act of 1914 helped protect Glacier National Park.
• The Wildlife Game Refuges Act of 1916 created wildlife refuges.
• The Acadia National Park Act of 1919 and the Grand Canyon Park Act of 1919 helped establish these important national parks.

Books by Woodrow Wilson

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson's book The New Freedom was published. It explained his ideas and plans for the country. He had also written two other books earlier: Congressional Government (1900) and When a Man Comes to Himself (1901).