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Progressive Era Timeline
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Interstate Commerce Act
Congress passes the Interstate Commerce Act, creating the Interstate Commerce Comission (ICC) to regulate the railroads. The Supreme Court interprets the ICC's power so narrowly that it rendered essentially powerless by the early twentieth century. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
Congress passes the Sherman Antitrust Act to prohibit trusts, which have grown rapidly over recent decades. This federal legislation further strengthens may preexisting state laws that lack the power to govern interstate commerce. -
Coal Miner Strike
Anthracite coal miners go on strike in Pennsylvania, protesting the deplorable working conditions of the mines and in the mining towns. -
Hatter Union
The hatters' union triggers a nationalwide boycott of a non-union hat manufacturer in Danbury, Connecticut. The manufacturer sues the union for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by unlawfully combining to restrain trade. -
Coal Strike Ends
After months of striking, coal miners and their reluctant employers finally agree to an abitration commision at President Roosevelt's request. The commission awards the mine workers a nine-hour day and a 10% wage increase. The miners are forbidden from striking again for the next three years. -
Hepburn Act
The Hepburn Act is passed at President Roosevelt's request, expanding the powers of the ICC beyond railroads to express companies and other forms of transportation. -
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
The Jungle is a 1906 book written by American novelist Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the lives of immigrants in the United States. -
Meat Inspection Act
The U.S.D.A. must inspect all animals slaughtered for human consumption-cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and swine. Slaughterhouses and processing plants must uphold cleanliness standards. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
Congress passes the Pure Food and Drug Act in response to exposé of the patent-drug, meatpacking, and food industries.
