The Progressive Era | The Bull Moose party | 4

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1909, William Howard Taft entered the White House, pledging to preserve and expand the Progressive policies of his predecessor Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, in turn, promised to stay out of politics. But over the next year, a controversy at the Department of the Interior convinced Roosevelt that his legacy was under threat. Soon, he would reenter the political arena, sparking a bitter struggle for control of the Republican party.

Roosevelt stirred the public with a bold agenda known as the “New Nationalism.” But Taft wasn’t his only adversary. As the 1912 election got underway, New Jersey Democrat Woodrow Wilson entered the fray with an alternative vision of Progressive reform.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, history buffs, if you can't get enough of the captivating stories we uncover on American
0:04.7	history tellers, you'll love the exclusive experience of Wondry Plus.
0:08.4	Dive even deeper into the past with ad-free episodes, early access to new seasons, and
0:13.0	bonus content that brings history to life like never before.
0:16.2	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple podcast and embark on an unparalleled journey through
0:21.4	America's most pivotal moments.
0:37.1	Imagine it's January 1910 in the Belgian Congo.
0:41.2	The heat of the midday sun bears down on you as you sprint through your safari camp.
0:45.8	You're the secretary to former President Theodore Roosevelt,
0:48.7	and you've just come from the telegraph office in the nearest town.
0:52.2	You come to a stop outside Roosevelt's canvas tent, panting. He sits on a
0:56.9	low stool meticulously oiling his rifle in advance of tomorrow's white rhino hunt. He looks up at you as
1:03.0	you gasp for air, holding up a crumpled telegram in your hand. Sir, it's President Taff. He's dumped your
1:10.5	Chief Forster Gifford Pinchot.
1:13.2	Roosevelt carefully sets down his rifle and stares at you in shock.
1:17.0	When did this happen? Ten days ago, apparently.
1:20.7	Roosevelt rises abruptly, knocking over the stool.
1:24.2	He begins pacing, back and forth, his boots kicking up small clouds of dust. Pinchot was like
1:29.4	a son to me, and we accomplished so much together. More than 200 million acres preserved. Land that
1:34.8	would have been stolen by the coal barons, stripped bare by loggers. It's a legacy to be proud of,
1:39.6	for sure, sir. What was Taff thinking? Does he think I wouldn't hear about this? Do you think I wouldn't care?
1:45.4	I'm not sure, Mr. President, but I'm told Taf sees Pinchot as a zealot acting beyond his official duties.
	...

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