Final answer:
Theodore Roosevelt asserted his executive powers during the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 by threatening to use the military to operate the mines if the striking workers and mine owners could not reach a resolution, representing a significant shift in federal intervention in labor disputes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Theodore Roosevelt asserted his executive powers to intervene in labor disputes during the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902. This strike saw 140,000 coal miners demanding a 20% raise, a 9-hour workday, and the right to organize a union. As the strike persisted and threatened public welfare, Roosevelt took a groundbreaking approach by inviting both sides to the White House for negotiations and threatening to use the military to take over the mines if a compromise could not be reached. This direct intervention by a president was monumental as it demonstrated a new principle where the federal government would be expected to intervene when a strike posed a threat to the public well-being.
Roosevelt's tactics signaled a shift towards a more balanced approach between labor and management and argued for the role of the federal government as a steward of all Americans. This involvement by Roosevelt was seen as an early example of Progressive Era thinking, which held that expert assistance could prevent disputes from escalating to the point that they affected the entire nation.
During the strike, Roosevelt's threat to utilize the military not to break the strike but to operate the mines while acting as mediator established a precedent for federal activism in labor disputes. This differed from prior presidential actions that typically supported industrialists against workers' rights. Roosevelt's stance was controversial, drawing criticism from conservative business owners and admiration from progressives and labor advocates.