LAD #29: The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

Child laborers soon to be affected by this act

The main purpose of this act was to stop child labor that contributed to interstate commerce. It prevented delivery of products from quarries or mine where children under 16 worked, and products from mills, canneries, or other like places when children under 14 worked or where 14-16 year olds worked more than 8 hours a day (applied to areas where children had been employed in the past month). This act also provided for a board to be made to regulate uniforms. The Secretary if Labor could send people to carry out inspections of mines or other working places. District attorneys now had to report violations to the Secretary of Labor who would then prosecute the organization responsible. Anyone who violated this act could be fined up to $200 the first time and between $100 and $1000 any subsequent times, and if someone presented false evidence they could also be prosecuted. It would take effect a year after its passing.

LAD #28: Wilson's First Inaugural Address

Wilson giving his 1st inaugural address

Wilson starts off by acknowledging the change of power in the government from Republicans to Democrats, indicating that people's opinions are changing, but the victory is for the entire country, not just one party. With this change, he said, the way people perceive events is going to shift as citizens will look at many things in a new light. Wilson says that although the US government and it's citizens are one of the greatest in the world, there are repercussions of the great achievements of the time period, including the damage to human lives. He declares that the new clarity of the citizens views will start to cleanse the evil out of the country without impairing the good. Wilson wants to work towards restoration from war and territorial acquisition, and that is a "duty of dedication" to eliminate government corruption and restore justice.

LAD #27: The Clayton Anti-Trust Act

A political cartoon representing the Clayton Anti-Trust Act

This act made the creation of monopolies and adjusting prices so that competition was impossible illegal, though it lets people change price if there is a difference in quality, amount, or other large changes in the type of product. It also makes it illegal  to lease or make a contract for the sale or resale of goods or supplies. Furthermore, the act banned corporations from buying stock in other businesses when it would lessen competition to prevent monopolistic control.

LAD #26: MLK's 'I Have a Dream' Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. giving a speech 

Martin Luther King Jr. starts off his speech by referencing Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, happening a century before. He said it acted as a beacon of hope to the slaves that they would finally get their freedom, but points out that after 100 years, black people still did not have their freedom or equality that they desired. They were subjected to discrimination and segregation, living in poverty while the rest of the country was wealthy in comparison. MLK Jr. continues by saying that this denial of equal treatment violated the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the two documents the country was built on, by not upholding the promises of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." He states that everyone has gone to Washington to ensure that they get justice, that America will quickly rise up out of segregation and stay true to itself to give people racial equality, and further emphasizes that "now" is the most important time to act as well as the most urgent. MLK Jr. also says how the black people protesting will not rest until they get equality, though he says they have to be careful not to let bitterness and violence taint the growing movement. He says they will not rest or "be satisfied" until they stop being discriminated against, by the police, legislation, or businesses. He dreams that the nation will go by its own words, that "all men are created equal", and that his children will be judged by who they are as people, not their skin color, and that white and black people will be able to be at peace with each other.

LAD #25: The Dawes Act

A poster advertising Indian land that was for sale under the Dawes Act

The Dawes Act provided for land belonging to Indian reservations to be surveyed and pieces given to individuals living there in severalty, with the amount given being determined by their status, age, and other factors such as if they had a family or not. The same conditions also applied to any Indian not belonging to a tribe that had a designated reservation or living off a reservation. If determined necessary, the Dawes Act also provided that the Secretary of the Interior could negotiate land to be released or sold away from the Indian tribes to settlers looking to move west. If a religious society or other organization was occupying former Indian lands that were now for sale, they could have land not exceeding 160 acres. The people living on the reservations were supposed to get equal protection under the law of the state that they lived in. Furthermore, any Indian who decided to live off of the reservation and assimilate into society would be granted full U.S. citizenship along with all of the rights and immunities of one. The Dawes Act would also not apply to the "5 Civilized Tribes" (the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles), as well as the reservations of the Seneca Nation in New York, the strip of territory in Nebraska added by executive order of the Sioux Nation, and the Osage, Miames, Peorias, Sacs, and Foxes tribes. This act wouldn't stop land being used for public use, such as for highways, railroads, and telegraph lines.

LAD #24: The Cross of Gold

William Jennings Bryan giving his famous "Cross of Gold" speech.

In his speech, William Jennings Bryan declares the situation of introducing silver into the national currency is so strong an issue that it has turned family members against each other. At a convention of Democrats, a few suggested that those who supported the coinage of silver organize so they could take control of the Democratic Party. A few months later, they stated that if they got enough support they would be able to make their own platform, which they were then able to do, although this created an outbreak on conflict between members and leaders of the party, as well as between family members. Bryan states that the members who are speaking don't come representing themselves, but representing principles. He addresses the next part of his speech to the "larger group of businessmen", the farmers and wage workers, including those who have settled the west who are more removed  from large cities on the east coast. In response to those who are afraid of what actions his party will try to take or those who disagree with his views, Bryan states that their idea of the income tax isn't a new thing and isn't unconstitutional as some claim, and that their criticisms of the Supreme Court are just, do to its conflicting resolutions. He defends the income tax by stating its intent to have the general population share some of the burden belonging to the government, which he says should be a citizen's duty, and by stating that the control of money is part of the government's job, not a bank's. He further countered several key points that his opponents came up with, showing further support for the working class and displaying his belief that those with a lot of power should not get the same amount of protection. He says when they restore the money of the Constitution, then they will be able to make their reforms, because with only the gold standard in place of bimetallism, only the upper classes receive benefits. Bryan concludes the speech by saying that mankind will not be crucified on a cross of gold.

LAD #23: The Populist Party Platform

A Populist Party nomination convention in 1890

In their Preamble, the Populist party lists increasing corruption, widening wealth gaps, and the growing power of the wealthy as causes for concern, as the country was degenerating to European conditions. They said that the usage of silver could help this issue but it was viewed as a bad thing by many people, and could put an end to the corruption of business and suffering of workers. They also believed that making these changes would restore the Republic to the hands of the "plain people".

Their party had three declarations: 1, the labor forces of the United States would always be unified, 2, wealth belongs to those who create it, and 3, the government should own all the railroads. The finance section of their platform demanded that there be free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver (at the legal ratio, 16:1), more money be put into circulation, a graduated income tax established, that state and national revenues be limited to what is necessary, and postal service banks be established for people to safely store their earnings.

They wanted transportation such as railroads to be controlled by the government because it was a public interest and necessary to travel anywhere, and the same applied to the telephone and telegraph.

The Populists felt that land owned by aliens or excess land owned by corporations should be reclaimed by the government and reserved for only actual settlers.

They wanted a free ballot, more power for the working class, the elimination of groups such as the Pinkertons, no national subsidies for private businesses, more direct voting, and a weaker executive branch of government.

LAD #22: McKinley's War Declaration

This message to Congress led to the Spanish-American War of 1898. The treaty that ended the war is shown being signed above.

The Cubans had been fighting a revolution against Spain from 1895 to 1898. The United States then sent a message to Spain demanding that they agree to an armistice with the revolutionaries. Although they agreed to this, the public was already moved to war against Spain and Congress quickly passed a resolution leading to war.

In his address to Congress, McKinley states that the war in Cuba was another revolution against Spain, and that similar wars had been happening throughout that half of the century. He also said that the war there was making it harder for the U.S. to keep up its neutrality laws, and it was a disturbance to the citizens and evoked their sympathies for the rebels. He comments that the war doesn't seem like it would end soon, and the longer it dragged on, the more American trade and business interests would get hurt in the process. As a solution to this problem, he suggests that the United States either intervene on one side as an ally or try to resolve the conflict between Spain and Cuba from a neutral position. He justifies entering the war by stating four points: one, that it is the country's responsibility to stop the atrocities of war from happening at its doorstep; two, to protect the American citizens in Cuba; three, the hurt caused by the war on American trade and business has to be ended; and four, that it's a danger to have a war going on and ships being seized at such a close proximity to the country. McKinley then brings up the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana's harbor as cites it as further evidence of the dangerous situation happening in Cuba because of Spain.  He states that the war in Cuba must stop, and does briefly mention that Spain agreed to an armistice with Cuba, though at this point the opinions of the majority of people in Congress are already swayed towards war.