Important Acts of Congress to Know for AP United States History

1. Northwest Ordinance (1787)

• Purpose: Created a system for governing the Northwest Territory and admitting new states.

• Key Features:

  • Established public education and guaranteed certain civil liberties.

  • Prohibited slavery, setting a precedent for free states in future territories.

• Impact: Influenced debates over the expansion of slavery and balanced state rights and federal authority.

• Example: Led to the eventual creation of states like Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

2. Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

• Context: Passed during tensions with France (Quasi-War) and domestic fears of dissent.

• Key Provisions:

  • Extended naturalization periods for immigrants.

  • Allowed deportation of non-citizens seen as threats.

  • Criminalized criticism of the government.

• Impact: Sparked debates about civil liberties and the limits of federal power, leading to Jefferson's opposition and the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.

3. Missouri Compromise (1820)

• Purpose: Maintained the balance between free and slave states.

• Key Feature: Established the 36°30′ line, where slavery was prohibited in new territories north of the line.

• Impact: Temporarily eased sectional tensions but foreshadowed future conflicts over slavery’s expansion.

4. Indian Removal Act (1830)

• Purpose: Allowed the forced relocation of Native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi.

• Impact:

  • Led to the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Cherokee and other tribes faced death and suffering.

  • Reflected the federal government’s prioritization of westward expansion over indigenous rights.

5. Compromise of 1850

• Key Provisions:

  • California admitted as a free state.

  • Fugitive Slave Act strengthened, requiring citizens to assist in capturing runaway slaves.

  • Allowed popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico territories.

• Impact: Highlighted divisions over slavery and increased tensions between Northern abolitionists and Southern slaveholders.

6. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Purpose: Allowed popular sovereignty to decide slavery in Kansas and Nebraska.

• Impact: Repealed the Missouri Compromise, leading to Bleeding Kansas, violent clashes between pro- and anti-slavery settlers.

7. Homestead Act (1862)

• Purpose: Encouraged settlement of western lands by granting 160 acres to individuals willing to farm it.

• Impact:

  • Accelerated westward migration but displaced Native Americans.

  • Expanded agricultural development and diversified settlement in the West.

8. Pacific Railway Acts (1862, 1864)

• Purpose: Supported the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.

• Impact:

  • Boosted economic growth by connecting eastern and western markets.

  • Facilitated westward migration but disrupted Native American territories and cultures.

9. Reconstruction Acts (1867–1868)

• Purpose: Reinforced federal control over Southern states during Reconstruction.

• Key Features:

  • Divided Southern states into military districts.

  • Required states to guarantee African American suffrage in new constitutions.

• Impact: Advanced civil rights during Reconstruction but faced fierce resistance from Southern whites.

10. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

• Purpose: Banned Chinese labor immigration for ten years, later extended indefinitely.

• Impact:

  • Reflected widespread racial discrimination and nativism.

  • Marked the first major federal restriction on immigration based on nationality.

11. Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

• Purpose: Regulated railroad rates and practices to address monopolistic abuses.

• Significance: Established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), the first federal regulatory agency.

12. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

• Purpose: Outlawed monopolistic business practices and promoted economic competition.

• Impact:

  • Initially used against labor unions but later applied to break up large monopolies like Standard Oil.

13. Dawes Act (1887)

• Purpose: Assimilated Native Americans by allotting tribal lands to individuals.

• Impact:

  • Undermined Native American cultures and resulted in significant land loss to white settlers.

14. Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)

• Purpose: Ended patronage by implementing a merit-based system for federal employment.

• Impact: Reduced government corruption and strengthened professionalism in federal jobs.

15. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

• Purpose: Regulated food and drug industries to ensure safety and truthful labeling.

• Impact: Led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

16. Federal Reserve Act (1913)

• Purpose: Established the Federal Reserve System to stabilize the economy.

• Impact: Created tools to control inflation and mitigate financial crises.

17. Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

• Purpose: Strengthened antitrust regulations and protected labor unions from antitrust laws.

• Impact: Enhanced federal power to break up monopolies.

18. Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917–1918)

• Purpose: Suppressed anti-war dissent during WWI.

• Impact: Targeted activists and raised concerns about constitutional free speech rights.

19. National Origins Act (1924)

• Purpose: Limited immigration using quotas favoring Northern and Western Europeans.

• Impact: Reflected nativist and racist attitudes prevalent in the 1920s.

20. Social Security Act (1935)

• Purpose: Established financial support for the elderly, unemployed, and disabled during the Great Depression.

• Impact: Formed the foundation of the U.S. welfare state, still a cornerstone of government policy today.

These acts illustrate the evolving role of Congress in shaping policies on statehood, rights, economy, and societal tensions.