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Pure Food & Drug Act
This act was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, 240 to 17. Muckraking journalists had long reported on the appallingly unsanitary conditions of the country’s manufacturing plants, especially in Chicago’s meat-packing industry. But it wasn’t until the public outcry following the publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle that Congress moved on legislation. -
16th Amendment (Income Tax)
This amendment is important due to the fact that it follows the federal government (United States) to levy (collect) income tax for all Americans. Income tax allows for the government to keep an army, build roads and bridges, enforce laws and carry out other important duties. Other taxes, such as taxes on houses or other property are considered ¨direct¨ taxes by the constitution. -
17th Amendment (Direct Election of Senators)
The 17th Amendment to the United States constitution established the popular election of the United States Senators by the people of the U.S. The amendment was proposed by the 62nd in 1912 and adopted in 1913 upon being ratified by three-fourths (36) of the state legislators. It was first implemented in special elections in Maryland (Nov 1913) and Alabama (May 1914), then nationwide in November 1914 election. -
Keating- Owen Child Labor Act
The first child labor bill was based on senator Albert J. Beveridge’s proposal from 1906 and used the government’s ability to regulate interstate commerce to regulate child labor. The act banned the sale of products from any factory, shop or cannery that employed children under the age of 14. They also did the same for children who worked in mines at the age of 16 at night or for more than 8 hours during the day. The act was passed by Congress and signed. -
18th Amendment (Prohibition)
The 18th Amendment was also known as the ¨National Prohibition. It banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. and its possessions. It did not prohibit the purchase or consumption of alcohol, contrary to common belief. Congress the Amendment on December 18, 1917. The necessary number of states ratified it on January 16th. It went into effect one year later, January 16, 1920.
