As it was the first day back for Ben, we reviewed the material covered in Chapter 31 which discussed the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt. We were reminded how he used his presidency as a powerful platform to advance his political agenda, and learned why he earned the nickname "trustbuster." Ben did not mince words talking about Roosevelt and set the story about him and the bear he hunted straight saying it had been distorted, romanticized, and glamorized because it was political propaganda. We discussed how in his bid for reelection, he ran on a platform that every American deserved a "Square Deal, which included controlling corporations, fighting corruption, protecting consumers, and conserving natural resources. We refreshed our memory as to the rift between Roosevelt and Taft that resulted in Woodrow Wilson being elected president. Ben astutely noted that the priorities and values of the Democratic and Republican political parties have changed since these were established in the late 1700's. We ended our time reviewing progressivism under Wilson and his policy of moral diplomacy.