Progressive Legislation Timeline

Pure Food and Drug Act

1906

This act was created to prevent the transportation, manufacture, and sale of misbranded or poisonous food, drugs, medications, etc. This also laid the foundation for the FDA.

Antiquities Act

1906

This was the first act to provide a general amount of legal protection over natural and cultural resources of scientific or historic interest. It also prevented people from looting Indian artifacts from archaeological sites.

Meat Inspection Act

1906

This act made it illegal to misbrand meat products and meat being sold as food. This act also ensures that meat is products are processed in strictly regulated conditions.

Hepburn Act

1906

This law expanded the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It also allowed the Commission to set the railroads at maximum rates. This law led to the discontinuation of the free passes to loyal shippers.

Mann-Elkins Act

1910

The Interstate Commerce Commission’s authority was strengthened by this federal law. This act also forced railroads to actively demonstrate that the rate was reasonable.

Workers Compensation Act

1911

This act provided compensation coverage for employees who had work-related accidents, injuries, or diseases. Medical care was paid for, wage replacement, and occasionally medical rehabilitation assistance.

17th Amendment

1913

This amendment modified Section 3 of Article 1. It allows voters to directly cast their votes for the U.S. senators instead of the senators being chosen by state legislatures.

Federal Reserve Act

1913

This act created a monetary system and national currency. This tactic was able to respond effectively to creating a table financial system and to the banking stresses.

16th Amendment

1913

This amendment granted Congress the authority to be able to, without having to determine it based on population, issue an income tax. They could lay and collect taxes, from whatever source, on incomes.

Federal Trade Commission Act

1914

This act allows the Federal Trade Commission to prevent and investigate any unfair methods in competition or affecting commerce. Their goal is to protect consumers and competition.

Clayton Antitrust Act

1914

This law encouraged fair competition and prevented any more unfair business practices that could potentially harm consumers. It limited further acquisitions and targeted price discrimination. All in all, it prohibits certain actions that might restrict competition in all areas of competition.

Keating-Owen Act

1916

This act prohibited the interstate sale of goods produced by child labor and limited children's working hours. It banned the sale of products from any facility that employed children under the age of 16 to work more than eight hours or at night.

Adamson Act

1916

This act established that any employee working overtime received pay, an eight-hour work day for interstate railroad workers. It was created to effectively avoid railroad workers going on a national strike.

18th Amendment

1919

This amendment prohibited the selling, transporting, and making of any alcoholic beverage. It did not prohibit the consumption, private production or possession, of alcoholic beverages for one's own consumption.

19th Amendment

1919

This amendment, after decades of protest, legally guarantees all American women the right to vote. First introduced in 1878, it was battled and pushed down by many until 1919.

Volstead Act

1919

This Act, also known as the National Prohibition Act, said that anything above one-half of one percent alcohol is an intoxicating drink. This Act was designed to execute the 18th Amendment.