progressive/gilded age

Political Reforms:

17th Amendment (1913) – Direct election of U.S. Senators by the people instead of state legislatures.

19th Amendment (1920) – Granted women the right to vote.

Initiative, Referendum, and Recall (various states) – Allowed citizens to propose laws, vote on them directly, and remove elected officials.

Australian Ballot – Secret ballot to reduce voter intimidation and fraud.

City Commission and City Manager Systems – Replaced corrupt mayoral systems with expert-led governance (Galveston Plan).

⚖ Economic & Antitrust Legislation:

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – First federal law to prohibit monopolies and restraint of trade.

Elkins Act (1903) – Outlawed railroad rebates and enforced equal rates for all shippers.

Hepburn Act (1906) – Gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) power to set maximum railroad rates.

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) – Strengthened the Sherman Act; protected labor unions from being considered illegal combinations.

Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) – Established the FTC to monitor unfair business practices.

16th Amendment (1913) – Authorized the federal income tax to fund government reforms.

👷‍♂ Labor & Workplace Reforms:

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916) – Banned interstate sale of goods produced by child labor (later struck down by Supreme Court).

Workmen’s Compensation Laws (state level) – Provided financial help for injured workers.

Tenement House Act (1901, NY) – Improved housing standards (ventilation, lighting, sanitation).

Lochner v. New York (1905) and Muller v. Oregon (1908) – Set precedents for labor laws (mixed rulings, but Muller upheld 10-hour workday for women).

🌱 Consumer Protection & Food Safety:

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) – Required accurate labeling of food and medicine; banned harmful ingredients.

Meat Inspection Act (1906) – Required federal inspection of meatpacking plants (inspired by Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle).

💰 Financial & Banking Reform:

Federal Reserve Act (1913) – Created the Federal Reserve System to regulate the U.S. money supply and banking.

Underwood Tariff Act (1913) – Lowered tariffs and introduced a graduated income tax.

🌳 Environmental & Conservation Reforms (Theodore Roosevelt’s Era):

Newlands Reclamation Act (1902) – Funded irrigation projects in the arid West.

Establishment of the U.S. Forest Service (1905) – Managed national forests.

Antiquities Act (1906) – Allowed the president to designate national monuments.

Roosevelt alone designated 230 million acres for conservation (forests, parks, wildlife refuges).

🚫 Moral & Social Reforms:

18th Amendment (1919) – Prohibition of alcohol (repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933).

Mann Act (1910) – Prohibited interstate transport of women for immoral purposes (targeted prostitution and trafficking).