Progress is not something that comes very quickly. It is a gradual process that takes time, in the interest of our country and the Progressive Era, more than a decade. The presidents of this time, Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, were like chefs developing a recipe for the betterment of the United States. Every act that was passed, each decision that was made, was a trial or taste-test of the constantly changing recipe for the country. If something angered citizens or drew criticism, the president went back to his office, his kitchen, and was ready to make more changes. Where he left off in the progressive recipe, the next chef took over. He would analyze what had been done, identified his plan of action, and then set to work by either making a few alterations or starting anew. This in effect was what Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson did. They each had differing opinions about what the "Better United States Recipe" needed.
Colorized image of US President Theodore Roosevelt...
President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt,...
English: William Howard Taft, with Governor-Genera...What they liked about the recipe they kept, making small changes that they thought would accentuate the product more. The things that they didn't like, they made drastic reforms. Basically, what each of the progressive presidents did, starting with Roosevelt and ending with Taft, was build off each other's ideas and mistakes, all with one goal in mind: make the United States of America the best it can be.
Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-sixth president of the United States, started the progressive ball rolling by making critical changes to issues dealing with the control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources. These criteria, which were better known by the epithet The Square Deal, were supported by numerous acts and actions on the part of the President and Congress. During this time, Theodore Roosevelt's enthusiasm for controlling large corporations is best...