Important Laws and shit
13th amendment abolishes slavery Civil Rights Act of 1866 Anyone born in the US is a citizen Vetoed by Andrew Jackson, overridden by Congress 14th Amendment (CED) - Citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the US - Equal protection to all citizens by the law - Due process: a fair and regular set of legal steps (law enforcement + courts) to be followed with an accused person, from arrest through trial Reconstruction Act of 1867 The Reconstruction Act of 1867 separated the South into 5 military districts (except Tennessee) and the states were required to create a new constitution that would be approved by the majority of the male citizens (African Americans as well). Army Appropriations Act: stripped away President Johnson's control of the Army now that the American Civil War was over. Tenure of Office Act: prohibited President Johnson from removing cabinet members without the Senate's consent. This was to protect Secretary of War Edward Stanton, a Radical Republican in his cabinet. 15th Amendment No one can be kept from voting because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude Amnesty Act - Returned the right for former Confederates to vote - Returned the right for former Confederates to hold office The Panic of 1873 Bank failures triggered a depression: a long-lasting period of negative economic growth, unemployment is high (double digits), and the country stops producing goods and services. |
Crédit Mobilier Scandal Crédit Mobilier was a company created by Union Pacific to make profit. It was an illegal business practice, overcharging to build railroad track and pocketing the profits. Interstate Commerce Act (1887) The Act created a federal regulatory agency, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to prevent railroads from setting fixed rates amongst themselves Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) This Act illegalized trusts, monopolies, and other practices that would hinder free interstate trade or competition between businesses in a given market. However, this act was quite vague and businesses could still get away with being a monopoly. |
Workers needed Labor Unions because… - Unions advocated for higher wages - Unions advocated for shorter work days - Safety Progressive States
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Chinese Exclusion Act The purpose of the Chinese Exclusion Act was to ban any Chinese from immigrating to the U.S. except merchants, teachers, tourists, and government officials. |
17th Amendment: Initiative, Referendum, and Recall The initiative gave citizens the power to create bills that could become laws The referendum allowed voters to accept or deny the bill The recall allowed voters to remove public officials from their position by organizing a new election Allowed voters to directly elect senators. 18th Amendment: Disallowed alcohol (Prohibition) 19th Amendment: Guaranteed women's vote. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Plessy v. Ferguson Homer Plessy was ⅞ Caucasian, but because of the Louisiana Separate Car act, he couldn’t sit in the white-only section of the train. He filed a petition against Ferguson. He claimed that the Separate Car Act violates the ‘Equal Protection Clause’ of the 14th Amendment. However, the supreme court voted against Plessy which caused the segregation of many public facilities for the next 58 years. Monroe Doctrine The U.S. recognized the new South American nation Nicaragua to gain access to trade. President Monroe was sending a message to Europe to stay out of the Americas, and America will stay out of Europe Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal Roosevelt used this term to describe his reforms that protected the common people against big business Three C’s - Consumer Protection - Corporate Regulation - Conservation Theodore Roosevelt’s Foreign Policy Roosevelt corollary: Roosevelt wanted the U.S. to be the major economic + military influence in the Caribbean + Central America. Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick: Roosevelt sought to assemble a powerful and reliable defense for the United States to avoid conflicts with enemies who might prey on weakness. Unregulated Big Businesses and Trusts Trusts held stock in major companies, eliminating competition and jacking prices up. President Roosevelt used the Justice Department to sue harmful trusts Meat Inspection Act of 1906 The act created a federal meat inspection program that checked for cleanliness Pure Food and Drug act of 1906 The act required truthful labeling of products and halted the production of contaminated food and medication National Reclamation/Newlands Act of 1902 Funded large irrigation projects. Roosevelt established more than 50 wildlife sanctuaries and set aside 148 million acres of forestland for wildlife Building of the Panama Canal The 50-mile long, $40 million project was funded by J.P Morgan. The U.S backed Panamanian independence from Colombia in order to get a better financial offer to build the canal. |
16th Amendment The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes. Clayton AntiTrust Act prevented unfair methods of competition. Department of Labor - To develop the welfare of the wage earners - Improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment Department of Commerce - to help workers understand their rights and access to resources. - to improve unions and job quality. The Mann-Elkins Act (1910) The Mann-Elkins Act gave the ICC the ability to control - telephones - telegraphs; and - radio Federal Reserve Act: First Purpose: The act established 12 regional reserve banks that would control the flow of money. Second Purpose: The act allowed the Federal Government to control the interest rates. Third Purpose: The act put the banking system under Federal authority and reduced the influence of the top 0.1% on the banking system. Federal Trade Act: The Federal Trade Act investigated unfair/unethical business practices. Platt Amendment The purpose of the Platt Amendment was to put terms for ending the military occupation of Cuba Foraker Act This law gave POTUS the ability to appoint members of the high legislature in Cuban. Cuban was strategically important because it was the prime location for canals. |
Causes of WW1: 0) Archduke Franz Ferdinand 1.) On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned luxury steamship Lusitania, killing 1,195 people including 128 Americans. 2.) January 1917: - Germany declared all ships in British waters will be sunk hostile or neutral - Zimmerman Note/Telegram: Great Britain’s intelligence intercepted a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to the German Ambassador to Mexico Henrich von Eckhardt. The telegram proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico should the United States decide to join the European Allies. January 8, 1918: President Wilson delivered a speech, known as the 14 Points, outlining his plan for international peace after the carnage of WW1. League of Nations: Congress did not ratify the treaty, and the United States refused to join the League of Nations. Isolationists in Congress feared it would draw the United States into future international affairs unnecessarily. In other countries, the League of Nations was popular and supported. |