Social Insurance Movement

Teddy Roosevelt

Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt.

As a third-party candidate in 1912 he was the first to propose that America adopt social insurance, and his Progressive Party (aka the "Bull Moose" party) adopted the proposal in its platform. The Progressive Party platform can be seen as the forerunner of the Social Security program that TR's cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, would successfully push through Congress in 1935.
Library of Congress photo.

Sound & Video Clips of TR Campaigning

Soundclip of TR campaigning for the Progressive Party (RealAudio format).
Sound clip courtesy of Dr. Maurice Crane, Vincent Voice Library, Michigan State University.

See silent movie clips of TR campaigning in 1912 in Fargo, ND--September 1912
(Clips in MPEG format.) Video clips courtesy of the Library of Congress.

MPEG Clip #1  (27 mb file size)

MPEG Clip #2  (18 mb file size)

More Info. on TR's 1912 Campaign

TR's Speech to Chicago Convention

Progressive Party Platform