Teddy Roosevelt became a factor in the election of 1912. Upon returning from an African hunting trip and European tour, he overcame his original opposition to running for a third term when he found Taft to be too conservative. Just before the convention, he described himself as feeling like a “bull moose.”
At the time of the convention, there were the beginnings of serious splits with the Republican Party. Roosevelt’s supporters felt that Taft had not continued his conservation efforts and was involved in a scandal with the Department of Interior. His anti-trust proceedings had also reached into the ranks of GOP backers. Within this group of insurgents, called the “Progressives,” there was further discord. Some felt Roosevelt should be the leader while others favored Senator Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin, responsible for much of the Progressive impetus. However, on February 2, 1912, LaFollette had so worn himself down campaigning for the movement that he collapsed while making a major speech. Most of LaFollette’s supporters had switched to Roosevelt by the time of the convention.
At the convention, after a dispute over the seating of the delegates, Taft was renominated. Roosevelt’s supporters adjourned to another hall and offered him the nomination. He accepted only on the condition that another party be formed; he and Hiram Johnson of California then ran on the Progressive (Bull Moose) ticket. Partially as a result of the Republican split, Democrat Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey was elected by a heavy electoral majority but with only a small plurality of the popular vote.
After the convention, Republicans began to regroup and in the 1914 Congressional elections made large gains in the House. Wilson won again in 1916 beating Charles Evan Hughes on the slogan that Wilson “has kept us out of war.” A month after his inauguration, Wilson could no longer keep the Nation out of war and the United States became involved in World War I.
By 1918, Republicans were united again and Wilson appealed for votes by saying, “The return of a Republican majority in either house of Congress would be interpreted on the other side of the water as a repudiation of my leadership.” The response was the election of a Republican Congress, and Wilson’s popularity began to decline.
In the election of 1920, the Republicans ran on a platform opposing the League of Nations but favoring an international agreement to preserve peace with a ticket headed by Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge. The Republicans beat the Democrat team of James M. Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Harding died on a trip to Alaska in 1923, but before his death the Republican Congress was able to establish the national budget system and the General Accounting Office. Harding himself called the Washington Conference that concluded seven treaties and he also endorsed a number of laws strengthening farm credit and farmer cooperatives.
Coolidge, who became known for the brevity of his remarks, was also a devoted advocate of thrift, as befitted his New England background. He cleaned up the Teapot Dome scandals, involving oil leases, and approved a program of increased naval building.
He was nominated to succeed himself on the first ballot at the 1924 Convention with Charles G. Dawes as Vice President. The Democrats were then undergoing the same dissension the Republicans had suffered earlier, and after 103 ballots chose John W. Davis as their nominee. A rejuvenated Progressive Party put up Senator LaFollette as their candidate.
Coolidge’s second administration was marked by prosperity and the public debt was steadily reduced. Two major pieces of legislation were passed -- the Railway Labor Act of 1926 and the Immigration Act of 1924, in 1927. Coolidge made a characteristically terse statement, “I do not choose to run for President in 1828.”
Republicans turned to Coolidge’s Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, and the Democrats nominated Alfred E. Smith. Hoover easily beat Smith. His large victory was jointly credited to the prosperity enjoyed under Coolidge and anti-Catholic sentiment against Smith.
Several months after his inauguration, Hoover was faced with the serious problem of the depression and the change from prosperity to panic in the nation.
The depression resulted from a number of political and economic factors and was not caused by one party or person. Hoover did what he could to rectify the economic chaos; he encouraged private, state, and municipal construction, increased federal public works, established the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Home Loan Bank System, and strengthened the Federal Land Banks and the Federal reserve Board.
By 1931, the democrats had gained control of the House of Representatives and the depression had spread to Europe. The people of the United States were dissatisfied and discontent, and President Hoover was their scapegoat. However, he had managed to achieve some success in foreign affairs, especially in Latin America where we withdrew Marine occupation forces.
Republicans again nominated Hoover in 1932 realizing that despite his unpopularity the failure to do so would permanently fix the blame for the depression on him and the Party. The Democrats won handily with Franklin D. Roosevelt and John N. Garner.
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