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National Reclamation Act
The National Reclamation Act was an attempt to protect U.S. national lands by creating national parks. President Roosevelt signed the bill into law, hoping to promote conservational ideals, -
Anthracite Coal Mine Strike
The Anthracite Strike of 1902 was an effort by coal miners to gain higher waves, shorter hours, and recognition of their union. The strike threatened public welfare so the federal goverment intervened. Roosevelt sided with the workers and was seen as a "national hero." -
The Northern Securities Case
Men such as J.P. Morgan and James Jerome Hill gained control of the majority of the railroads, threatening to monopolize the industry. Fortuanetly, Theodore Roosevelt ordered the United States Department of Justice to pursue a case against him, The US sued the holding compnay and ordered the railroad company to break up. -
Swift & Co. v. United States
The "Big Six" leading meatpacking compnaies were engaged in a conspiracy to fix prices and split the market for livestock and meat to generate higher profits. However, Theodore Roosevelt issued a lawsuit against the beef trust. In this case, Swift & Co. vs. the US, the Supreme Court ruled that the Commerce Clause permitted the government to regulate monopolies if it directly effected commerce. -
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
The Jungle was written by American novelist, Upton Sinclair. In his book, he vividly described the harsh conditions he observed in meat-packing plants in Chicago. When President Roosevelt read the book, he recognized that something must legally be issued to regulate the industry. This lead to the Meat Inspection Act. -
Meat Inspection Act
After reading "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair about the horrid meat packing industry in Chicago, Theodore Roosevelt passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. The act prevents bad meat from being sold to consumers and it establishes meat packing under only sanitary conditions. -
Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States
In 1905, Roosevelt authorized a federal investigation of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust. This trust had control of 80% of the oil refining industry in America. Investigators uncovered secret rebates from railroads so Roosevelt’s Justice Department filed an antitrust suit under the Sherman Act in 1906.
