How Theodore Roosevelt Helped Create Progressive Politics

At the turn of the 20th century, the Republican Party was on the brink of an internal civil war. Following a devastating financial crisis, a new breed of politicians came to Washington—they vowed to overthrow the party leaders and purge Wall Street’s corrupting influence from Washington. While their opponents called them “radicals,” and “fanatics,” they called themselves Progressives. As their crusade gathered momentum, the country polarized, and the middle ground melted away. Michael Wolraich tells the story and looks at the role of President Theodore Roosevelt in finding compromise. His book Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels Who Created Progressive Politics  takes us into the heart of the power struggle that created the progressive movement, and defined modern American politics.