Election Video:http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/search/assetDetail.cfm?guidAssetID=5C884617-6C60-404B-9196-F63EF15959A2&rand=1B083308-1560-AC16-4637F6BE9A1C4B3B

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/election-cartoons/images/progressive-fallacies.gif                                                            Why so many candidates?

Even though there were more than three candidates, the election was a three way contest between William Howard Taft (an incumbent candidate), Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt (who wanted to be president for a third term).  This unique situation made it easy for political cartoonists  and newspapers like Harpers Weekly to make fun of many candidates and parties.

Wilson grew up as the son of a minister and before becoming president was a university professor.  He believed that a strong government could control the monopolies that were crippling America.  (Some of these monopolies include mining, railroads, and oil)  Wilson wanted to keep small businesses in the picture, but did not want to wipe out monopolies entirely.

Taft, the Republican who already occupied the White House, was liked by men who had big businesses.  If Taft had won the election, the big businesses would have thrived at the cost of the people.

Roosevelt had already been elected twice, but was not happy with how Taft had carried out his presidency.  He had promoted Taft after his second term, but after seeing his weak attempts to fix problems for the country, he wanted to restore the country on his own.  At the Republican Convention, Roosevelt was not nominated, so he created his own Progressive party called the “Bull Moose” party, which actually hurt the Republican vote.

Even though Taft and Roosevelt had worked together in the past, the competition became very vicious.  They fought for the Republican vote.  While Taft and Roosevelt were fighting for the split vote, Wilson took advantage of all the Democratic votes.  Wilson did not win the popular vote, however the Electoral College showed him winning by a mile.  After the election the Democrats had the majority in Congress and both houses.

**Eugene V. Debs was not a significant receiver of votes, and did not get Perkins, Francis vote.

Sources

Byrd, Stacey. "Election of 1912." SDSU. 6 Apr 2008 <http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~sbyrd/election1b1912.htm>.

Kennedy, David, and Thomas Bailey, and Lizabeth Cohen . American Pageant. 13th ed. hmco, 2007.

"Wilson- A Portrait." American Experience. 2001. PBS. 1 Apr 2008 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/portrait/wp_election.html>.