The Progressive Era | Wilson's War on Tariffs | 5

American History Tellers

Wondery

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

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson entered the White House, ready to fulfill his promise of a “New Freedom.” It was a vision of domestic reform that aimed to wrest power away from special interests and expand economic opportunities to all. Over the next two years, he fought for lower tariffs, banking reform, and antitrust laws.

But the outbreak of war in Europe threatened to derail his agenda. As America moved closer to the brink of intervention, Progressives wondered whether war would reenergize their movement, or destroy it once and for all.

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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 America's most pivotal moments.
0:37.2	Imagine it's just after 4 o'clock in the morning on March 4th, 1917, in Washington, D.C.
0:43.6	You're a congressional aide, and you're pacing outside the Senate chambers.
0:47.8	Congress is set to adjourn in just a few short hours, and since yesterday, your father, Republican
0:53.0	Senator Robert LaFollett and his fellow
0:55.1	progressive supporters, have been filibustering a bill they believe will draw the nation into war with
1:00.1	Europe. They're hoping to run out the clock before the Senate can pass it. The heavy oak doors open,
1:06.4	and your father burst from the chambers. His face is flushed and his gray hair is unrulyer than usual.
1:12.3	You've never seen him so flustered. They're trying to silence me. What do you mean, father?
1:17.2	They took me off the speaker's list. They mean to jam this bill through without letting me make a
1:20.9	closing statement. It's an outrage. You glance over his shoulder at a pair of clerks and nervously
1:26.3	eye your father as they shuffle past.
1:28.4	Father, I think you need to calm down a bit.
1:30.4	How can I be calm when our entire movement is at stake?
1:33.2	The United States must remain neutral.
1:35.3	I thought Wilson understood that.
1:37.0	Yet here we are talking about arming civilian ships against the Germans.
1:40.8	If that's not a step toward war, I don't know what is.
	...

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