Turn of the Century and WWI Terms

Laws related to US foreign Policy

Teller Amendment (1898)
• The Amendment promised that when the US overthrew Spanish rule in Cuba, the US would give Cubans their independence
• Later, the Platt Amendment would override the Teller Amendment as Cuba would come under US control after the Spanish-American War

Cuba and Platt Amendment (1901)
• Rider attached to Army appropriations bill
• It was written into the constitution of Cuba by the US and, in effect, made Cuba a US protectorate
• The US could intervene to preserve Cuba’s “independence”; in reality, the US could act to protect its own interests
• The US kept land for naval bases on Cuba; Guantanamo Bay would play a part in later Cuba-US conflicts

Hay-Pauceforte Treaty (1901)-
• British canceled treaty of 1850 allowing any canal in Central America to be under joint Brit-US control
• Allowed the US to dig the Panama Canal without British involvement

The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1904)-
• Justified US intervention in Latin American countries when necessary
• US could send gunboats to Latin American country that was delinquent in paying its debts
• US sailors and marines occupy ports to manage collection of custom taxes until debt paid off

Root-Takahira Agreement (1908)-
• Sec. Of State Elihu Root & Japanese Ambassador Takahira pledged mutual respect for each nations Pacific possessions and support for Open Door policy in China

The Lodge Corollary-
• Stated that non-European powers would be excluded from owning territory in the Western Hemisphere
• Proposed by Henry Cabot Lodge who feared Japanese schemes to acquire land
• Opposed by Pres. Taft, offended Japan & Latin American Countries

The Progressive Era – Laws and Policies

Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal-
• President should do much more than lead executive departments
• President’s job to set legislative agenda for Congress
• Government will step in to settle disputes between labor and business

“Square Deal” for labor-
• Government intervention in disputes between labor and business
o 1902 Coal strike, mediated btw parties and threatened to take over mines if owners refused to compromise

Food and Drug Act (1906)-
• Forbade the manufacture, sale, and transportation of adulterated or mislabeled food & drugs

Meat Inspection Act (1906)-
• Placed strict controls on the meat industry‡The Secretary of Agriculture can inspect any meat for safety
• 4 requirements
o Inspection of livestock
o Post mortem for carcasses
o Sanitation
o Ongoing monitoring from the secretary of agriculture's dept

Payne-Aldrich Tariff(1909)-
• Proposed by Sereno Payne(R) and Nelson Alrich(R)
• Began as a bill that lowered tariffs but ended up raising tariffs though compromises
• Split the republican party into the true progressives and the Old Guard conservatives

Underwood Tariff (1913)-
• First federal income tax.
• Introduced the tax bracket system instead of fixed rates.
• Lowered tariffs, and income tax became the new source of income for the government

Wilson’s New Freedom (1913)-
• Wilson’s inaugural address pledged commitment to bring back conditions of free and fair competition in the economy
• Wilson attacked tariffs, banking, & trusts

Federal Reserve Act (1913)
• Response to the Panic of 1907 and concerns of business
• Need for a stable currency supply that could grow and shrink with business demands
• Several measures competed for designing this central reserve, ,each offering control to a different group
• President Wilson worked diligently to create and secure passage of act
• Divided the nation into separate regions with federal reserve banks in each that would serve as “banker’s banks”
• The Federal Reserve Board oversaw the system and regulated it by raising or lowering the interest rates that each federal reserve bank would charge

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)-
• Further outlined regulations against monopolies and other unfair business practices
• Meant as update for the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890
• Price discrimination that was destructive to competition was declared illegal
• Declared interlocking board of directors of direct competitors illegal
• Established Federal Trade Commission to investigate and prosecute instances of unfair competition
• Served as the grounds for many suits against big corporations
• Exempted labor unions engaged in legal activities

Federal Trade Commission (1914)-
• Regulatory agency that was allowed to investigate any "unfair trade practice" in every industry except for banking and transportation
• It was established to work against trusts

Federal Farm Loan Act (1916)-
• 12 regional farm loan banks were set up
• Farmers could put up to 50% of their land and 20% of their improvements as collateral
• Small farmers could improve their conditions and buy new equipment to challenge larger businesses with available capital

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916)-
• Forbade shipment of products whose production had involved child labor
• Power of enforcement derived from interstate commerce, so the federal government could regulate it rather than states
• Declared unconstitutional because it interfered with the power of states

More important Laws

Sixteenth Amendment-
• Congress can collect an income tax for the spending of the federal government alone

Seventeenth Amendment (ratified 1913)-
• A progressive initiative that allowed for each state to elect 2 senators for 6-year terms by popular vote
• Restated the first paragraph of Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution by replacing “chosen by Legislature thereof” with “elected by the people thereof”
• Allowed citizens to have a more active participation in the government

Eighteenth Amendment (1919)-
• Prohibition
• Made the creation, sale and transport of alcohol in the United States illegal and the state government has the ability to enforce this law with legislation

Nineteenth Amendment (1920)-
• 19th Amendment provided for women’s suffrage, which had been defeated earlier by the Senate
• Ratified by states 1920
• Feminists who supported suffrage since the 1860s included: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Carrie Chapman Catt

Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917 and 1918)-
• Fines and imprisonment for persons who made false statements which aided the enemy, hindered the draft, or incited military rebellion
• Forbade criticism of the government, flag, or uniform
• Led to imprisonment of major figures
• The Supreme Court upheld the acts, allowing the government to limit free speech when words represented clear and present danger, especially during times of war