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Pendleton Act
After the assassination of President James A. Gerfields by a disgruntled job seeker, Congress passed the Pendleton Act. The act provided that Federal Government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
President Theodore Roosevelt signed the landmark Progressive Era legislation into law June 30. Made it illegal to produce, or sell adulterated or poisonous food, drugs, medicine, or liquor. The Pure Food and Drug Act also made what is the Food and Drug administration today. -
Meat Inspection Act
Prohibited the sale of adulterated or misbranded livestock and derived products as food and ensure that livestock were slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions. Came about largely due to the conditions in the meatpacking industry. The meat packing industry had become a sprawling economic business with the sharp increase in population in the United States. -
Antiquities Act
The Antiquities Act established the first general legal protection of cultural and natural resources in the United States. However no long serves a purpose. President Theodore Roosevelt's signed this to prevent looting of archaeological and Native American structures and objects. The purpose was to give the federal government an expeditious path to protect archaeological sites. -
17th Amendment
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state. They are elected by the people for six years, and each Senator can have one vote. It was part of a wave of progressive constitutional reforms that sought to make the Constitution, and our nation more demographic. It also gave Americans the right to vote for their Senators, which strengthened the link/bond between citizens and federal government. -
16th Amendment
Made it legal for the government to collect income tax. Soon after the 16th amendment, income tax became the government's largest source of income. Today income tax is used to pay for roads, schools, military, police, fire stations, and even hospitals. The 16th amendment is by far one of the most controversial amendments. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
Granted the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce, the authority to act against specific and unfair monopolistic practices. It started with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the first Federal law outlawing practices considered harmful consumers(monopolies, cartels, and trusts) The Clayton Act specified particaul prohibited conduct, the three-level enforcement scheme, the exemptions, and the remedial measures. -
Keat Owen Child Labor Act
Was intending to fix unethical childcare practices. It became illegal to buy or sell products manufactured in factories that employed people that were 14 or under, and things mined by children 16 or under. Also it prohibited facilities from employing children from under fourteen from working after 7pm, or before 6am. Also children couldn’t work for more than 8 hours straight. -
18th Amendment
Usually referred to as “prohibition,” the 18th amendment made it illegal to buy or consume alcohol. In hindsight, the prohibition is infamous for being a complete blunder. However radical religious people, especially protestants advocated strongly for the extermination of alcohol in American society. Many Americans started relying on illegal moonshine, or hard cider for alcohol. -
19th Amendment
The United States Constitution granted women the right to vote, prohibiting any U.S A citizen to be denied the right to vote based on sex through the 19th Amendment(suffrage for women. The women’s suffrage movement was founded by women who had become politically active through their work in the abolitionist and temperance movements.
