The Progressive Movement – Economic Issues

• Monopoly and Trusts:– Sherman Antitrust Act: 1890 – made trusts

illegal.• also addressed price fixing and restraint of trade

practices• not well enforced at first – but is important because

of the indication of government regulation of businesses

Child Labor• at first reduced – then eliminated

• marked the beginning of the creation of mandatory public schooling for children

Consumer Protection• Meat Inspection Act: set standards for

meat packing cleanliness and federal inspections

• Pure Food and Drug Act: prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure or falsely labeled food and drugs

Working Conditions• Progressives had mixed results in attempts to

limit working hours at first:• Lochner v. New York: ruled against limiting

hours in bakeries because it violated the original contract between the employer and the employees

• Muller v. Oregon: allowed women’s hours to be limited in order to protect the health of the women. This often kept women out of higher paying jobs.

• In general though, the labor union movement did grow in importance during this time