Conservation/Land Use Acts - Save the Planet!

Land Conservation was a major concern of Theodore Roosevelt's. He, therefore, took steps to preserving the natural landscape.

The first step was the Desert

Land Act of 1877 (before TR time). This act sold land to any purchaser that could turn an arid backwater into a less-arid backwater in three years.

More successful was the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, which authorized the president to set aside public forests as national parks and other reserves. Some 46 million acres of trees were saved from the lumber yard thanks to this Act.

States were granted federal land so that it could be irrigated and settled via the Carey Act of 1894.

The Newlands Act of 1902 authorized Washington to collect money from the sale of public lands in the western states and use the money for the development of irrigation projects.

There was a split among the Progressives about how they viewed the land. There were the ones who wished to save the land so as to use it as a resource for long-term projects (dams, etc.) and there were the ones who wished to save the land because of its beauty (preservationists). In general, the preservationists lost many a fight.

Federal Agencies

The national stage was generally closed to female reformers. However, two wedges were driven into the federal bureaucracy (via the Department of Labor) in the form of two new Bureaus: The Children's Bureau and The Women's Bureau. Both of these gave female activists a place to send forth their grievances from.

Once again, Wilson comes in with another move and scheme to reform the economy. This one is called the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914. It empowered a commission to perform seek and destroy monopolies at the source by rooting out unethical trade practices.

Here is yet another act signed by Wilson, the Federal Reserve Act. The Federal Reserve Board, established by this Act, oversaw a twelve region system of reserves with their own central banks. Furthermore, the board was also empowered to issue Federal Reserve Notes - paper money.

And yet another Act signed by Mr. President Wilson (last on this post, I promise!). This one, the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916, made credit available to farmers at low interest rates - a move long demanded by populists.

Amendments to the Constitution

Was an income tax legal? Whether it was or not, Congress made it legal in 1913 with Amendment XVI to the Constitution. This Amendment directly made it legal for the government to tax part of a workers income.

Isn't there an intimacy between corporations and Congress? This is true; the muckrakers uncovered this. Because of the pressures caused by this, Congress passed Amendment XVII, establishing direct election of senators via popular choice rather than by electoral college.

Alcohol is prohibited in the United States! ... or at least it was when Amendment XVIII was in effect. Passed in 1919, the Amendment floored Demon Rum temporarily thanks to pressures caused by antiliquor campaigns, such as the WCTU.

Women? Voting? At the time, that must have been a riotous joke! However, it happens

all the time today. Why is that? In 1920, women's suffrage was granted under Amendment XIX. This includes rights for women to vote.

Workers Rights Acts - Get Back to Work!

Company treatment of its "most valuable assets" have not always been especially good. Sailors, for instance, were treated brutally from the days of cat-o'-nine-tails onward. The La Follette Seamen's Act of 1915 helped solve this issue. It required decent treatment and a living wage on American ships.

If you became disabled in your line of work, that tough. Workers' Compensation did not exist before 1916, before the Workers' Compensation Act. This Act gave assistance to federal civil-service employees when they were disabled from injury or disease.

Anti-Trust Acts - Evil or Just Business?

The trusts were a major problem in both politics and business. By working together, companies gained great money and power at the expense of the consumer and smaller companies. Something had to be done.

An attempt was made in 1890 with the Sherman Anti-trust Act, which flatly forbade any form of trusts, good or bad. The act was full of loopholes and lawyers were clever, making it virtually ineffective. In fact, it was used at the time to curb labor unions.

The Sherman Act finally grew some "teeth" of its own when Congress passed the Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914, which lengthened the list of objectionable business practices. Furthermore, it conferred benefits on labor and legalized strikes and peaceful picketing.

Food Acts - Tasty, but Safe?

European Markets were shutting out American meats because they were found to be tainted. Yuck! Some governments were even threatening to throw out the good meat with the bad meat. What a waste! Furthermore, thanks to Upton Sinclair and "The Jungle", people began to retreat off of American meats. What was the solution?

Congress (again "influenced" by Roosevelt) passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, subjecting meat shipping and preparation to federal inspection. While being revolted by certain features of the act, larger packers successfully used this act as an opportunity to drive other smaller competitors out of business.

Another problem was the mislabeling of foods and pharmaceuticals (was that Loratadine or Hydrocodone?). As a companion to the Meat Inspection Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was passed to solve this problem.

Railroad Acts - Conquering the Monster

At the time (early 1900s), the railroad industry was a boom. In fact, money and power was flowing through its slippery talons faster than could be controlled. The Interstate Commerce Commission, designed in 1887 in an attempt to curb the beast, was failing miserably. What could be done to stop the terrible tyrant?

Into the spotlight then stepped President Theodore Roosevelt. With some "motivation", Congress finally passed an effective legislation. The first one was the Elkins Act of 1903, which imposed fines on railroads giving rebates and on shippers accepting them.

Even more successful than the Elkins Act was the Hepburn Act of 1906, restricting free passes. Thanks to this Act, the Interstate Commerce Commission was expanded and given power over express companies, sleeping-car companies, and pipeline

By imposing effective legislations on railroads, Roosevelt had brandished his antitrust stick. He probably went to bed that night with a feeling of a job well done.