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Theodore Roosevelt's first presidency began unexpectedly in 1901. He became the 26th president of the United States after President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Roosevelt finished the remainder of McKinley's term and was later re-elected to a full term in 1904. He made sure to focus on progressive reforms, foreign policy, and trust-busting.
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The Coal Strike of 1902 occured because United Mine Workers of America cought better pay, shorter workdays, and union recognition. On the other hand, mine owners refused to negotiate and ignores the miners request. Due to the strike, miners received a 10% pay increase and reduction to their work days from 10 to 9 hours. The Coal Strike ended with Roosevelt, who established an arbitaration commission to resolve the dispute between the miners and coal operators.
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The Elkins Act was passed in 1903 to prohibit railroads from giving rebates to shippers. The purpose of the act was to end unfair buisness practices by making sure railroads charged consistent rates for shipping. Before 1903, railroads offered secret rebated to large shippers, which created unfair advantages for corporations leading to rate discrimination.
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The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 is a United States law that prohibits the sale of misbranded or adulterated meats and mandates federal inspections of meatpacking plants. The unsafe conditions were exposed in Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" which brought recognition to the conditions. Before 1906, meat inspection laws lacked power to regulate unsanitary conditions within the packing houses. Thanks to this law, meats are now able to be packed safely without the worry of unsanitary conditions.
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The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 changed the relationship between the government, consumers, and the food industries. This act banned the interstate sale of adulterated or mislabeled food and drugs. This helped to get rid of unsanitary conditions and dangerous diseases that could've been spread.
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After Theodore Roosevelt's presidency ended in March of 1909, he visited Africa sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution. The main goal of the trip was to collect thousands of animal, and plant specimens for the Smithsonians U.S National Museum. Roosevelt believed this was a crucial time to document the species of East Africa, since the landscapes and ecosystems changed due to colonization.