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Pendleton Act
The pendleton act established that positions within the federal government should be awarded on the basis of merit instead of political affiliation. Instead of hiring employees because they knew or were related to someone of political power, competitive exams were given. The act also made it illegal to fire someone or demote them for political reasons and prohibited soliciting campaign donations on Federal Government property. -
Antiquities Act
The antiquities act established that archaeological sites are important public resources. Protection of the historic, scientific, commemorative, and cultural values of the land is required for present and future generations. The president is also able to protect landmarks, structures, and objects by designing them as National Monuments. Efforts lasted a generation long, until Roosevelt signed the act in 1906. -
Meat Inspection Act
The Act signed by president Theodore Roosevelt required all meats sold for consumption to be processed, cleaned, and branded correctly, even though not all ingredients were on the label. Even though most harmful food was banned, they still placed warnings on the containers. The law also required meat packing industries to inspect all meat before and after being slaughtered for consumption. -
Food and Drug Act
The act prevented manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated, misbranded, poisonous, or harmful foods, drugs, medications, and liquors for any purpose. The act directed the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry to inspect products, and send offenders to prosecutors. Purity levels for allowed chemicals were given, and all active ingredients were required on the label. -
16th Amendment
The 16th amendment allows the U.S. government to levy and income tax from all Americans. Income tax allows the federal government to keep an army, build roads and bridges, enforce laws, and carry out other important duties. -
17th Amendment
The 17th amendment established the popular election of the United States senators by the people. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
The Clayton Antitrust act was passed in a bid to curb the power of trusts and monopolies and maintain market competition. -
Keating-Owen Act
The Keating- Owen Act was also known as the Wick’s Bill, and was short-lived. The act was centered on child labor, the interstate sale of goods produced by factories that employed children under fourteen, mines that employed children under sixteen, and any facility where children children under fourteen worked after 7 PM, or before 6 AM. -
18th Amendment
The 18th amendment prohibited alcoholic beverages in the U.S. by making it illegal to transport, sell, and make alcohol. The Volstead Act set down methods for enforcing the 18th amendment, and explained what alcohols were exceptions to the law, regarding medical use. The amendment lasted 13 years, and it’s appealing amendment was the only one of its kind. ( One that counter-acted an old one) -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment of the US constitution granted women the legal right to vote. The act was endorsed after an long movement known as the Women’s suffrage movement. The idea of Women’s suffrage came about in 1878, and was submitted to congress in 1919, to be ratified by 1920.
