Robert La Follette

Definition

Robert La Follette was an American politician who served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin and as a U.S. Senator. He was a prominent leader of the Progressive movement and a vocal critic of big business and political corruption in the early 20th century.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. As Governor of Wisconsin, La Follette implemented a series of progressive reforms, including the establishment of a state income tax, railroad regulation, and workers' compensation laws.
2. La Follette was a vocal critic of the influence of big business in politics and advocated for greater government regulation of monopolies and trusts.
3. He ran for President in 1924 as the nominee of the Progressive Party, running on a platform of economic and political reform.
4. As a U.S. Senator, La Follette was a leading opponent of U.S. entry into World War I and a critic of the Wilson administration's wartime policies.
5. La Follette's progressive ideas and advocacy for the rights of workers and farmers made him a key figure in the broader Progressive movement of the early 20th century.

Review Questions

• Describe the key reforms and policies that Robert La Follette implemented as Governor of Wisconsin.
  • As Governor of Wisconsin, Robert La Follette implemented a series of progressive reforms aimed at addressing the challenges of industrialization and political corruption. He established a state income tax, implemented railroad regulation, and passed workers' compensation laws. These reforms were part of La Follette's broader efforts to curb the influence of big business and empower ordinary citizens through greater government intervention and regulation.
• Explain how Robert La Follette's political views and activism aligned with the broader Progressive movement of the early 20th century.
  • Robert La Follette was a prominent leader of the Progressive movement, which sought to address the economic and social problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and political corruption. As a vocal critic of big business and political corruption, La Follette's advocacy for greater government regulation of monopolies, support for workers' rights, and opposition to U.S. entry into World War I placed him at the forefront of the Progressive movement. His progressive ideas and reform efforts in Wisconsin, as well as his 1924 presidential campaign on the Progressive Party ticket, cemented his status as a key figure in the broader progressive reform efforts of the early 20th century.
• Analyze the significance of Robert La Follette's political career and legacy in the context of the challenges of urbanization and industrialization during the Progressive Era.
  • Robert La Follette's political career and legacy were inextricably linked to the challenges of urbanization and industrialization during the Progressive Era. As a prominent leader of the Progressive movement, La Follette sought to address the economic and social problems caused by the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through his reforms as Governor of Wisconsin and his advocacy for greater government regulation of big business, La Follette positioned himself as a champion of the common people against the perceived excesses and corruption of the economic and political elite. His progressive ideas and reform efforts, including his 1924 presidential campaign, made him a key figure in the broader progressive reform efforts aimed at addressing the social and economic upheaval brought about by the process of industrialization and urbanization during this pivotal period in American history.

Related terms

Progressive Movement: A political and social movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that sought to address the economic and social problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and political corruption.

Muckrakers:

Journalists who exposed corruption, waste, and abuses in business and government during the Progressive Era.

Populism:

A political approach that appeals to the interests and concerns of ordinary people, often in opposition to a perceived elite establishment.