Woodrow Wilson Legislation

Federal Trade Commision Act, Jones Shafroth Act (1917), Keating-Owen Act (1916-1918), 19th and 17th Amendments, Federal Reserve Act Clayton Antitrust Act Adamson Act

Federal Trade Commision Act

• Passed in 1914 by Woodrow Wilson

• Addressed concerns about trusts

  • Primarily protected consumers and prevented unfair competition

    • Used Rules and Regulations that involve interstate commerce to do so

Jones Shafroth Act (1917)

• Granted Citizenship to citizens of Puerto Rico

• Shaped their gov’t into an efficient three branch gov’t with a bicameral legislature

Keating Owen Act (1916)

• First federal child child labor law in the U.S.

• Designed to prohibit the interstate sale of goods made by children

  • Set age and hour restriction

  • Banned interstate commerce of products from factories employing children <14

• Declared Unconstitutional by Congress in 1918

• Led to further child labor actions in the 1930’s

19th Amendment

• passed in 1920

• Granted ALL women the right to vote

  • Many colored women faced issues from states like poll taxes and literary tests to keep them out of voting

    • Faced disenfranchisement until 1965 (Voting Rights Act of 1965)

17th Amendment

• Direct election of U.S. senators

  • Expanded democracy in the U.S.

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

• Established the Federal Reserve system, the central bank of the U.S.

  • Promoted economic stability and created a more effective banking system

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

• Passed to strengthen the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890), which prohibited price-fixing from monopolies to ensure fair competition

• Clayton Antitrust Act banned price discrimination and exclusive sales contracts

• Against big business and corporations

Adamson Act (1916)

• Established the 8hr workday

• Overtime pay for workers that worked >8hrs

  • Avoided a large railroad strike

• Challenged by big business