Laws And Acts

Front 1

Homestead Act of 1862

Back 1

1. Any adult citizen could claim up to 160 acres outside 13 colonies.
2. Had to better property with dwelling and cultivation.
3. After five years land belonged to claimer

Front 2

Federal Judiciary Act of 1789

Back 2

Created federal court system

Front 3

Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

Back 3

1. Non-residents must be in US for 14 years to be citizens.
2. Allowed deportation of those considered dangerous to the U.S.
3. Detention and deportation of any national of a country the US was at war with.
4. Publishing government criticizing writings is illegal

Front 4

Missouri Compromise of 1820

Back 4

Drew imaginary line preventing slavery above it. Evened slave vs non-slave holding states

Front 5

Compromise of 1850

Back 5

1. Admitted California, New Mexico, and Utah to the Union.
2. Abolished slave trade in D.C.
3. Removed claim to some Texas land
4. Strengthened fugitive slave act.

Front 6

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

Back 6

1. This Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska in order to facilitate the development of a transcontinental railroad.
2. States could decide slaveholding status on their own

Front 7

Pacific Railway Act of 1862

Back 7

Provided Federal support for the building of the first transcontinental railroad,

Front 8

Morrill Land Grant Act

Back 8

Gave each state 30,000 acres of public land for The land, or the proceeds from its sale, was to be used toward funding educational institutions

Front 9

Act to Establish Yellowstone National Park

Back 9

1872

Front 10

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Back 10

The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first major legislation that restricted immigration in the United States

Front 11

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act

Back 11

Created the modern-day merit-based system under which federal employees are selected.

Front 12

Spoils system

Back 12

AKA Patronage system, government jobs were awarded based on political party work

Front 13

Interstate Commerce Act of 1887

Back 13

Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act, making the railroads the first industry to be regulated by the federal government.

Front 14

Dawes General Allotment Act of 1887

Back 14

Broke up reservations and allowed non-Indians to own portions of tribal lands

Front 15

Sherman Antitrust Act 1890

Back 15

The first federal antitrust law and is the source of all American antimonopoly laws.

Front 16

Targeted corporations using unscrupulous methods to artificially raise prices of goods.

Back 16

Sherman Antitrust Act 1890

Front 17

Prohibits agreements in restraint of trade -- such as price-fixing or refusals to deal -- and forbids monopolies.

Back 17

Sherman Anti Trust Act of 1890

Front 18

The position of the US Attorney general was created by:

Back 18

Federal Judiciary Act of 1789

Front 19

Federal officials were required to arrest runaway slaves or face a fine.

Back 19

Compromise of 1850

Front 20

Effectively nullified the Missouri compromise

Back 20

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

Front 21

1. Required railroad and shipping rates to be reasonable
2. Required rates to be posted
3. Railroad had to give ten days notice before changing its rates.

Back 21

Interstate Commerce Act of 1887

Front 22

Hoped to force Indians to adapt an agrarian lifestyle.

Back 22

Dawes General Allotment Act of 1887

Front 23

Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906

Back 23

The Meat Inspection Act was the beginning of federal regulation of the country’s meat, poultry, and egg products supply.

Front 24

National Prohibition Act of 1919 also called:

Back 24

Volstead Act

Front 25

Defined what is considered legal intoxicating liquor.

Back 25

National Prohibition Act of 1919

Front 26

Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933

Back 26

Set up the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to redevelop the Tennessee Valley area -- encompassing seven states and 40,000 square miles.

Front 27

1. Managed the Tennessee River’s navigation and flood control problems.
2. Encouraged reforestation and proper land use.
3. Fostered agricultural and industrial development, and provided electric power.

Back 27

TVA Act of 1933

Front 28

Social Security Act 1935

Back 28

Under the Act, Social Security insurance funds were established through taxes on individuals’ wages and employers’ payrolls.

Front 29

1. Created unemployment insurance.
2. Established a lump-sum Social Security death benefit.
3. Initiated a system of benefits for workers injured in industrial accidents, dependent mothers and children, the blind, and the physically disabled.

Back 29

Social Security Act 1935

Front 30

1. Protected the rights of employees.
2. Supported collective bargaining
3.Put an end to the abusive practices of antiunion employers.

Back 30

National Labor Relations Act

Front 31

National Labor Relations Act also known as:

Back 31

Wagner Act

Front 32

Fair Labor Standards Act and Equal Pay Act also known as:

Back 32

Wages and Hours Bill

Front 33

1. Established a national minimum wage.
2. Required overtime pay under certain circumstances
3. Prohibited most child labor

Back 33

Fair Labor Standards Act and Equal Pay Act

Front 34

Servicemen's Readjustment Act (G.I. Bill)

Back 34

1944

Front 35

Lanham (Trademark) Act

Back 35

1946

Front 36

Lanham (Trademark) Act

Back 36

A federal statute that governs trademarks, service marks, and unfair competition.

Front 37

Economic Cooperation Act also known as:

Back 37

The Marshall Plan

Front 38

Marshall plan:

Back 38

1. Help restore devestated economies of post-war Europe
2. Prevent communist take-overs.

Front 39

Federal Tort Claims Act of 1948

Back 39

Gave private parties the right to sue the United States for injuries caused by federal employees.

Front 40

Federal-Aid Highway Act

Back 40

known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, the law authorized the building of the interstate highway system in the United States.

Front 41

Outlawed discrimination in public places
Required integration of schools
Required equal voter registration
Prohibited employment discrimination

Back 41

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Front 42

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Back 42

Fair Housing Act and Amendments

Front 43

Fair Housing Act and Amendments

Back 43

Fair Housing Act was a far-reaching law that prevented discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin.

Front 44

What 3 groups were added later for coverage to the Fair Housing Act and Amendments?

Back 44

1. Gender
2. Families with children
3. The disabled

Front 45

Established Medicare and Medicaid

Back 45

Social Security Act Amendments of 1965

Front 46

Aided the elderly and those living in poverty

Back 46

Social Security Act Amendments of 1965

Front 47

Outlawed poll taxes, literacy tests for voters and outright harassment and intimidation.

Back 47

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Front 48

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) of 1970

Back 48

Designed to combat organized crime in the United States

Front 49

OSHA Act

Back 49

1970

Front 50

Endangered Species Act

Back 50

1973