Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson were presidents during periods of social reform. They sought to improve the welfare of the average American citizen, regulate big-business practices, and conserve the nation's natural resources.
Roosevelt supported the progressive movement with his domestic goal to give everyone a "Square Deal." He soon became known as a "trustbuster." Roosevelt also helped settle the coal strike of 1902. Roosevelt's greatest achievement lay in the area of conservation.
During Taft's administration, the Constitution was changed with the passage of the Sixteenth Amendment (providing for an income tax) and the Seventeenth Amendment (allowing direct election of senators). Taft also created the Tariff Board to investigate duties.
One of Wilson's first acts as president was to help pass the Underwood Tariff, which lowered import duties and introduced a federal income tax. Wilson achieved a reform of banking and currency practices, secured passage of a labor reform bill, and engineered legislation regulating trusts.
