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The Election of 1912 Essay

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The Election of 1912
During the Progressive Era, Americans faced the challenge of choosing between four strong candidates of the election of 1912. Each candidate held concrete platforms that would have different effects on progressivism. Americans could chose the conservative presidential incumbent William Howard Taft(R), the New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson (D), the long-time fighter for social reform-Eugene V. Debs (S), or the former president Theodore Roosevelt of the newly formed Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party). Through this election many steps were taken to change the face of the election …show more content…

In the August before the election, the most successful third party in the 20th century was formed. After Theodore Roosevelt was denied the Republican nomination, he was elected in the newly formed Progressive Party. Theodore was the man for the job saying, "In loyalty, honor and duty there was nothing for me to do but to heed their call and make the race with all my might, regardless of present or future consequences to myself". (Miller 527) With this spirit, this third party had accomplished the unthinkable by becoming in second in the presidential election of 1912. This was the only time in American history that the Republican Party has come in third in both the popular and electoral vote. Sidney M. Milkis stated, "Ostensibly, the "cause" of Progressivism—the platform's commitment to direct democracy and social and industrial justice—gave reform leadership its dignity, indeed its heroic quality."(Claremont Institute) The Progressive Party's accomplishment proved that third parties can have influence on an election and they

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