Chapter 15, sec.5, Critical Thinking #4

Why do you think Wilson failed to push for equality for African Americans, despite his progressive reforms? Think About:
• progressive presidents before Wilson
• Wilson’s background
• the primary group of people progressive reforms targeted

Wilson failed to push for equality despite his progressive reforms because of the reasons following. Like president Roosevelt he claimed progressive ideas however his main focus was reforming the government, in a different way than Roosevelt. He believed in attacking large companies and or concentrations of power in order to give more freedom to the average person. (pg.538) Wilson had a huge prejudice against the African Americans which led to him not using much of his Federal power to help improve the civil rights of the African Americans. This prejudice was that he was from the south and grew up during the Civil War and the Reconstruction. (pg.539) Also Wilson's primary group of people progressive reforms targeted was not the African Americans. It was the big corporations and the extremely wealthy people. He wanted to to lower tariff rates and to have an income tax. This income tax would increase in the percent of your income it took by the larger amounts of money you have. (pg.540)