Why was the 1912 election notable

July 2, Woodrow Wilson is chosen as the Democratic nominee. November 5, Wilson wins the general election, with third-party candidate Roosevelt leading Republican Taft. Back to top. Hosted by Springshare.

William Taft is nominated for a second term at the Republican National Convention; Theodore Roosevelt to form a third party to oppose him. But Roosevelt became increasingly disillusioned with Taft and eventually decided to mount a challenge for the next Republican nomination. With few exceptions, candidates in prior elections had largely refrained from overt campaigning.

Roosevelt changed this by giving speeches around the country, especially in the dozen states with direct primaries. Though Roosevelt won most of the primaries, he came up short of delegates at the tumultuous Republican National Convention in Chicago, prompting him and his supporters to storm out.

They then reconvened across town and formed the Progressive Party, nicknamed the Bull Moose Party because Roosevelt said he felt as fit as a bull moose. Rounding out the field was Eugene Debs, who was running for the third straight time on the Socialist Party ticket.

Sherman died in office that October, temporarily leaving him without a running mate. There was clearly a mandate for reform, but not necessarily for Wilson. He had garnered six million votes, but together Taft and Roosevelt had polled a million more. And there were another million who had chosen Debs and the Socialists. Discover the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst who helped bring down gangsters and break up a Nazi spy ring in South America.

Her work helped lay the foundation for modern codebreaking today. I n the summer of , hundreds of wildfires raged across the Northern Rockies. By the time it was all over, more than three million acres had burned and at least 78 firefighters were dead. It was the largest fire in American history. Learn about Wilson's life, from his southern childhood, to his rise in academia, to his political career.

President Wilson's domestic program, called the New Freedom, sought to extend opportunity to all, and wrest power away from entrenched interests.