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Theodore Roosevelt, the former U.S. president, is nominated for the presidency by the Progressive Party, a group of Republicans dissatisfied with the renomination of President William Howard Taft. Also known as the Bull Moose Party, the Progressive platform called for the direct election of U.S. senators, woman suffrage, reduction of the tariff, and many social reforms. Roosevelt, who served as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909, embarked on a vigorous campaign as the party’s presidential candidate. A key point of his platform was the “Square Deal”–Roosevelt’s concept of a society based on fair business competition and increased welfare for needy Americans.
On October 12, 1912, minutes before a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Roosevelt was shot at close range by anarchist William Schrenk. Schrenk, who was immediately detained, offered as his motive that any man looking for a third term ought to be shot. Roosevelt, who suffered only a flesh wound from the attack, went on to deliver his scheduled speech, declaring, “You see, it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose!” The former “Rough Rider” later collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. He recovered quickly but in November was defeated by Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson, who benefited from the divided Republican Party.
We cover this episode in the section on political parties - the party eras specifically - but this marks the time when the progressives begin to drift away from the Republican Party and towards the Democratic Party. The process would be complete by 1932, but their increased power in the party would lead the southern conservatives to begin to slowly distance themselves from the Democratic Party and align with the Republicans. This process has only recently been completed.
The wheels of political history keep spinning.
For more:
- Progressive Party.
- 1912 Republican National Convention.
- United States Presidential Election, 1912.
