<p>Well, it has been quite a week. We began the week with Chapter 28 and should easily finish Chapter 29 in Pageant tomorrow. The AP US History Crash Course books arrived. My students love the book and promise to study it. We have also been using the outstanding clips from icue.com to illustrate key topics and people. And finally, the Amsco books should arrive early next week. </p>
<p>I assigned my students the following FRQ from the 2007 exam: To what extent did the role of the federal government change under President Theodore Roosevelt in regard to two of the following:Labor, Trusts, Conservation. </p>
<p>Here (with permission of the author) is one of my student's essays. What score (1 - 9) would you give the essay?</p>
<p>Following the Civil War, the federal government played an increasingly passive role in American life. This can be especially seen in the federal government's laissez-faire attitude toward the growth of big business. All of this changed when Theodore Roosevelt
became the President in 1901. TR revitalized the presidency and thus expanded the role of the federal government. This can be clearly seen in TR's policies towards labor and trusts.</p>
<p>In 1902, over 100,000 United Mine Workers struck the coal mines in western Pennsylvania. The miners demanded a 20 percent boost in salary and a reduction of their working day from 10 hours to 9 hours. The owners refused to negotiate thus precipitating the long and bitter Anthracite Coal Strike.</p>
<p>History and precedent seemed to be on the owner's side. Just eight years before, the railroad workers struck the Pullman Palace Car Company. Led by President Cleveland, the federal government supported the owners by first invoking an injunction against the American Railway Union for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and secondly by using troops to break the strike.</p>
<p>The defeat of the Pullman workers encouraged the coal owners. Their confidence proved to be wrong. In an effort to resolve the strike, TR invited both sides to a White House conference. Outraged by the owners arrogance and recalcitrance, TR threatened to use federal troops to take over the mines. Stunned by President Roosevelt's threat, the owners reluctantly accepted federal arbitration. The resulting settlement gave the workers higher wages and reduced hours. However, their union did not win official recognition.</p>
<p>The Anthracite Coal Strike marked a watershed event in American labor history. Roosevelt's vigorous action set a precedent for active federal intervention in labor disputes. TR's bold leadership underscored the federal government's commitment to a "Square Deal" for the American people.</p>
<p>Roosevelt's commitment to using the power of the federal government to protect the public interest can also be seen in his approach to trusts. By 1901, giant trusts dominated the American economy. Like many Progressives, TR believed that monopolistic trusts posed a threat to free markets. In contrast to the pro-business policies of Cleveland and McKinley, TR used the federal government to reduce the power of the trusts and thus defend the public interest.</p>
<p>In 1902, the Justice Department filed suit against the Northern Securities Company , a giant railroad holding company. Two years later, the Supreme Court upheld the anti-trust suit and dissolved the National Securities Company. This landmark victory encouraged TR to pursue over 40 other anti-trust suits including cases against Standard Oil and American Tobacco.</p>
<p>TR further expanded the federal government's role in the economy by signing the Hepburn Act. This important law gave the Interstate Commerce Commission greater authority over the railroads. </p>
<p>TR's actions in the Anthracite Coal Strike and the Northern Securities Case helped establish the principle of government regulation over the economy. TR set important precedents that paved the way for further federal regulation of the economy by Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.</p>
i would give it an 8 or 9.</p>