LAD #29: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

Congress passed the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act in 1916 after it was proposed by Senator Beveridge. The act controlled child labor in factories by using the federal government to regulate interstate commerce. The act also prevented the sale of products from any company that employed children under the age of 14, and any mine that employed children under the age of 16. Additionally, it banned the sale of products from any business that had children under the age of 16 working the night shift or more than 8 hours per day. Although it was approved by President Wilson, the Supreme Court declared it was unconstitutional due the the Hammer v. Dagenhart case. The public strongly supported child labor reform, but it still took a long time to implement. The Supreme Court didn't revoke its declaration regarding the case until 1941.  

LAD #28: Wilson's First Inaugural

Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, was elected as a result of the 1912 election, in which there was a split between the Republican Taft and Progressive Roosevelt. In Wilson's Inaugural Address, Wilson discussed the morals of the American people and the necessity for change in society. He mentioned the success of the Industrial Revolution, but also addressed the issues the revolution caused. The corruption present throughout the country had to be fought, human rights had to be established, and government had to stop being used for private purposed. He stressed the need for reform, and promised reforms like laws concerning sanitation, food, and the conditions of labor. Wilson hoped to restore the nation, and even though he stated the nation was in need of improvement, his speech was one full of hope and positivity.

LAD #27: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act was passed by Congress in 1914, following the failure of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Clayton Act prevented companies from forming exclusive contracts, rebates, inter corporate stock holdings, and price cutting. While it was very similar to the Sherman Act, there was a slight difference; in the Clayton Act, labor unions were not considered to be constraints of the economy. The act was influential because it didn't try to prevent unions from forming or carrying out their plans for reform. 

LAD #25: Dawes Severalty Act

The Dawes Act of 1887 served the purpose of replacing the lands that were previously possessed by Native Americans with individually owned properties. The act relocated Native Americans to reservations that were determined beforehand. The Natives were forced onto sections of land that could be observed at any given time. Each person was given a certain amount of land, and the head of the family was given a quarter of the land. If they weren't granted land on the reservation, they were permitted to live somewhere else in the US. The act was valid for 25 years, and then the President would have to decide whether to continue or end the act. It also gave all Native Americans the benefits of being under American law and equal rights as Americans. The government had the power to use the land for whatever they wanted for 5 years, and then after that point, the Natives were able to keep the land forever.  

LAD #24: Cross of Gold Speech

William Jennings Bryan delivered a speech in 1896 about his opinion of silver currency being in a 16 t0 1 ratio with gold in the American economy. Implementing this policy would help farmers in debt because the inflation would increase the amount of money in circulation. Bryan believed that doing so was the humane and right thing to do for the country. He had no interest in fighting, but he did want to clear the waters. He argued that America was a country established to represent the people, and believed that he was representing the majority of the people when he supported coinage of silver. He also advocated for an income tax, saying that the country was in need of a leader to distribute the wealth to the people. He conceded by saying that many people from cities supported the gold standard, but he let them know that their wealth came from the poor, and the poor needed the coinage of silver. 

LAD #23: The Populist Party Platform

The Populist Party was opposed to big businesses, and was created as a result of industrialization. The party stemmed off the farmer's alliance in the 1800s, and it was independent third party aside from the Democrats and Republicans. It mostly consisted of Southern farmers, who opposed big businesses because they were unable to compete with them. The populists thought that workers were denied their basic rights, and showed their support for workers and the formation of unions. They also were against immigration because immigrants took away jobs from American citizens. The populist party also believed that the government should have an increase in power, establish an income tax, increase the circulation of wealth, and form a permanent union for workers. The populists were basically just standing up for more power for the working class. 

LAD #22: McKinley's War Message

In 1898, President McKinley addressed the Congress and stated his belief that the war between Cuba and Spain should be brought to an end as soon as possible, justifying his argument in the name of humanity, civilization, and the endangered American interests. McKinley thought that the constant battles between the two countries were harmful to America's trade, capital investment, and even frightened the citizens. He worked to convince Congress to end the war using any sort of method, including neutral intervention to propose a rational compromise or blatant endorsement of one side. The one thing McKinley was against was forceful annexation. He came to the realization that a neutral resolution, while more difficult, would be more justified. The first point was the demand that the US end the barbarities in Cuba. The second point was to give the citizens of Cuba protection and indemnity for life and property. The third point was the statement that the failure to intervene would lead to loss of commerce, trade, and business, and destruction of property and land. The fourth point was that war was a threat to the peace and neutrality of America. The last thing he mentions is that Spain had told America that they were planning on ending hostilities, but if they didn't, the conflict in Cuba would remain the same.