The Milford Museum’s American History Series will continue Saturday, Sept. 13, with a program examining one of the most pivotal moments in U.S. politics: The Presidential Election of 1912: Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of the Bull Moose Party.
The presentation, led by longtime educator and historian Lew Miller, will begin at 1 p.m. at the Milford Public Library.
“The 1912 election is often called the first ‘modern’ presidential election,” Tom Summers, Director of the Milford Museum said. “For the first time, many states held primary elections to choose their candidates. That changed the way campaigns were run and gave voters more direct influence in the process.”
While the election featured four candidates, Miller’s talk will focus on two: former president Theodore Roosevelt, who ran under the Progressive or “Bull Moose” Party banner, and Woodrow Wilson, then the Democratic governor of New Jersey.
“Some of the issues debated in 1912 may sound very familiar today — tariffs, immigration, inflation, and inequality,” Summers explained. “And the outcome shaped the course of American politics for the next century, with Republicans moving in a more conservative direction and Democrats embracing a more liberal identity.”
Miller brings 47 years of experience in public education, having taught U.S. and world history before serving as Director of Instruction for the Caesar Rodney School District. He has also been a speaker at state and national education conferences and co-founded the consulting business Educationally Speaking, LLC. Today, he contributes to legal research for a law firm.
The event is part of the Milford Museum’s monthly history series, sponsored through a grant from the Delaware Heritage Commission. Programs are held on the second Saturday of each month at the Milford Public Library, 11 S.E. Front Street, Milford.
“These programs give our community a chance to connect with history in ways that are both engaging and relevant,” Summers said.
For more information, contact the Milford Museum at (302) 424-1080 or [email protected].
