Hist 232: Progressive Era Laws, Amendments, and Reform Organizations

New York Tenement House Law

Established a model housing code for safety and sanitation

Newlands Act

Provided for federal irrigation projects

Hepburn Act

Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission

Pure Food and Drug Act

Regulated the production and sale of food and drug products

Meat Inspection Act

Authorized federal inspection of meat products

Sixteenth Amendment

Authorized a federal income tax

Seventeenth Amendment

Mandated the direct popular election of senators

Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act

Lowered tariff rates and levied the first regular federal income tax

Federal Reserve Act

Established the Federal Reserve System to supervise banking and provide a national currency

Federal Trade Commission Act

Established the FTC to oversee business activities

Harrison Act

Regulated the distribution and use of narcotics

Smith-Lever Act

Institutionalized the county agent system

Keating-Owen Act

Indirectly prohibited child labor

Eighteenth Amendment

Instituted prohibition

Nineteenth Amendment

Established woman suffrage

Social Gospel Movement

Urged churches and individuals to apply Christian ethics to social and economic problems

Muckrakers

Exposed business abuse, public corruption, and social evils through investigative journalism

Settlement House movement

Attempted through social work and public advocacy to improve living and working conditions in urban immigrant communities

National Consumers League

Monitored businesses to ensure decent working conditions and safe consumer products

Women's Trade Union League

United workingwomen and their middle-class allies to promote unionization and social reform

National Child Labor Committee

Campaigned against child labor

Country Life movement

Attempted to modernize rural social and economic conditions according to urban-industrial standards

National American Woman Suffrage Association

Led the movement to give women the right to vote

Municipal reformers

Sought to change the activities and structure of urban government to promote efficiency and control

Conservationists

Favored efficient management and regulation of natural resources rather than uncontrolled development or preservation