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The United States Progressive Party of 1912 was a political party created by a split in the Republican Party in The 1912 Election . It was formed by Theodore Roosevelt when he lost the Republican nomination to Taft and pulled his delegates out of the convention. When reporters suggested that he was no longer fit for the office, he retorted that he was "fit as a bull moose" (giving the party its nickname), and he called his own convention and nominated a national ticket with California Governor Hiram Johnson as his vice-presidential running mate. State parties also nominated slates in most northern states. Apart from Johnson (who ran in 1912 as a Republican since he controlled the California GOP), very few Republican office holders or leaders joined the new party, but many independent reformers signed up, singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers." Two important activists were Gifford Pinchot and his brother Amos Pinchot . The party was funded by publisher Frank A. Munsey and its executive secretary George W. Perkins . The platform called for woman suffrage, recall of judicial decisions, easier amendment of the Constitution, social welfare legislation for women and children, workmen's compensation, limited injunctions in strikes, farm relief, revision of banking to assure an elastic currency, required health insurance in industry, new inheritance and income taxes, improvement of inland waterways, and limitation of naval armaments. Pacifist Jane Addams , a leading supporter, was stunned to discover she had to endorse a platform that called for the building of new battleships. Perkins, a board member of U.S. Steel was blamed for blocking an anti-trust plank, shocking reformers like Gifford Pinchot who saw Roosevelt as a true trust-buster. The result was a deep split in the new party that was never resolved. Roosevelt's philosophy for the Progressive Party was based around New Nationalism , which was the belief in a strong government to regulate industry, and protect the middle and working classes. New Nationalism was paternalistic in direct contrast to Wilson's individualistic philosophy of "New Freedom." Roosevelt had the satisfaction of defeating Taft in the popular vote, and by a large margin of 88–8 in the Electoral Vote , but the split engendered in the Republican vote allowed Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency. Some historians argue that even without the split Wilson would have won (as he did in 1916). The party did poorly in the 1914 elections and soon folded. Most members, including Roosevelt returned to the Republican Party after the Republicans nominated the more progressively-minded Charles Evans Hughes for president in 1916. From 1916 to 1932 the Taft wing controlled the Republican party and refused to nominate any 1912 Progressives to the Republican national ticket. Finally Frank Knox was nominated for Vice President in 1936. Robert LaFollette broke bitterly with Roosevelt in 1912, but in 1924 he ran for president on his own ticket, also named the Progressive Party . REFERENCES
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