Progressive Party

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt became president in 1901, taking over when President William McKinley was assassinated. A hero of the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was known for his strong personality. That personality, combined with Roosevelt's support for policies such as consumer protection, anti-trust regulation, and environmental conservation, made him popular with many Americans.

Roosevelt did not seek reelection in 1908 and endorsed his secretary of war, William Howard Taft, for the Republican nomination. However, after Taft was elected to office, Roosevelt soon became displeased with him. Instead of carrying on the reformist agenda of the former Roosevelt administration, Taft sought to appease the conservative wing of the Republican Party, dominated by large corporate interests. The party eventually became divided, and Roosevelt declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination for president in 1912.

The campaign between Roosevelt and Taft quickly took on a bitter tone, and Roosevelt's denunciations of the president won him considerable support in states where primary elections were held. However, Taft used his control of the Republican Party machinery to win the majority of the delegates at the party's convention. As a result, Roosevelt and his followers stormed out of the convention and hastily created a third party, the Progressive Party. In response to questions from reporters, Roosevelt declared himself to be "as strong as a bull moose," and the Progressives became more widely known as the Bull Moose Party. The 1912 campaign turned into a contest between Roosevelt and the Democratic nominee, Woodrow Wilson. Both candidates endorsed a progressive agenda but differed with respect to their views on the proper extent of business regulation and on the best means for securing women's rights. Roosevelt was a lively speaker, once even continuing with a speech for 90 minutes after being wounded during an assassination attempt in Milwaukee

In the 1912 election, Roosevelt outpolled Taft and received the support of 4.1 million voters, amassing 88 electoral votes. However, Wilson's vote total was more than 6 million, and he easily cruised into the Oval Office. During Wilson's two terms in office, the Progressive movement ceased to be a force in the national electoral arena, but several planks from its 1912 platform were ultimately enacted, including three constitutional amendments establishing the federal income tax, the direct election of senators, and the right of women to vote.