Acts and Laws: 1649-1774
Act or Law
Toleration Act
Date
1649
Identification
Toleration Act that guaranteed freedom of religion to anyone in the colony
of Maryland "professing to believe in Jesus Christ". Purpose to ensure
toleration for Catholics in Maryland.
Navigation Acts 16501673
Series of acts to enforce mercantilist policy on colonies.
All trade to be carried both ways on English or colonial ships with Eng.
crews. Imports to colonies must go through English ports.
Enumerated goods to England only. (tobacco originally, expanded later)
Proclamation
Act
1763
At end of French-Indian War. Prohibited the settlement of British settlers
west of the Appalachian Mts. Goal to restrict settlement until peace
negotiations with Indians could be completed. Colonists upset because
restricted their freedom. Thousands defied.
Sugar Act
(Revenue Act)
1764
Purpose to raise revenue. Duties on foreign sugar and molasses imported
into the North American colonies from the West Indies. Stricter enforcement
of Navigation laws with trials in Admiralty Courts
Quartering Act
1765
Required colonists to provide food nad living quarters for British troops
Stamp Act
1765
Declaratory Act
1766
Townshend
Acts
1767
Townshend
Acts repealed
Intolerable Acts
(Coercive Acts
1770
The Stamp Act required all legal documents, licenses, commercial contracts,
newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards to carry a tax stamp.
Long been taxed at higher rate in England.
1st direct tax paid by those who used goods rather than “regulating trade.”
Huge protests…no taxes ever collected.
Passed at same time Stamp Act repealed. Proclaimed Parliament right to tax
and make laws of the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”
Series of measures:
1) called for the suspension of the New York Assembly for defiance of
Quartering Act.
2) import duties on tea, glass, paper
3) revenues raised to be used to pay crown officials (independent of colonial
legislature)
Small, symbolic tax on tea retained
1774
Reaction to Boston tea Party.
Port Bill closed port of Boston. Reduced power of Mass. legislature. Royal
officials to be tried in England. Expanded Quartering Act.
Led to call for 1st Continental Congress.
Quebec Act
1774
“Good act in bad company.” Organized Canadian lands received from
France to allow continued traditions…Catholic Church, no representative
assembly. Angered colonists.
Acts and Laws: 1785-1850
Act or Law
Land Ordinance
Act of 1785:
Date
1785
Northwest
Ordinance
Hamilton's
Financial
Program
1787
Alien and
Sedition Acts
1798
Virginia and
Kentucky
Resolves
179899
Missouri
Compromise
1820
Tariff of
Abominations
Tariff
Compromise
Tariff
Compromise of
1850
1828
Identification
Provided for surveying western territories into 6 mile-square townships
before sale. Every other township was to be subdivided into 36 sections of
640 acres each.
Provided for territorial status and then statehood .Outlawed slavery on the
Old Northwest
Proposed the funding of the national debt at face value, federal assumption
of state debts, and the establishment of a national bank. Extensive program
for federal stimulation of industrial development, through subsidies and tax
incentives. Funding of these programs would come from an excise tax
(whiskey) and from tariffs on imports.
The Alien Act raised new hurdles in the path of immigrants trying to obtain
citizenship (to become a citizen you had to live in the country for 14 years
not 5). The Sedition Act widened the powers of the Adams administration
to muzzle its newspaper critics.
Madison and Jefferson came up with these resolves ( in response to Alien
and Sedition Acts) which were presented to the Virginia and Kentucky
legislatures respectively. They proposed that John Locke's "compact
theory"
be applied, which would empower the state bodies to "nullify" federal laws
within those states. The issue died since the resolves were only adopted in
Kentucky and Virginia
Henry Clay proposal, the Missouri Compromise stated that the Louisiana
Purchase would be divided among the latitude 36 degrees 30', the north for
non-slave states and the south for slave states. Missouri would become a
slave state, Maine as a free state, thus balancing the representation in the
Senate.
Increased tariff to levels deemed intolerable by the South
1832
1833
South Carolina reacted by nullifying tariff.
Clay compromise. Accompanied by Force Bill, which SC nullified
1850
Compromise over admission of states from the Mexican Cession. California
free state, the slave trade was abolished in Washington D. C., the Fugitive
Slave Act was passed, and the territories of New Mexico and Utah were
established on the basis of popular sovereignty which would allow the
people in the territory to decide the issue of whether the territory should be
slave or free.
1790
Progressive Era Legislation
1890
1901
1902
1903
1905
1906
1911
1912
1913
1914
1916
1919
1920
Sherman Antitrust – Outlaw monopolies – restraint trade (not effective)
New York Tenement House Law – housing code for safety and sanitation
Newlands Reclamation Act – federal irrigation
Elkins Act – outlaw rebates
U.S. Forest Service – manage water and timber
Hepburn Act – strengthen ICC – permission to raise rates
Pure Food and Drug Act
Meat Inspection Act
New York State Factory Commission (result of Triangle fire)
Illinois grants aid to dependent children
Mass. estab. min wage for women and children
16th Amendment – federal income tax authorized
17th Amendment – direct election of senators
Underwood Tariff – lowered tariff, levied income tax
Dept. of Labor estab.
Federal Reserve Act – established federal to regulate banks and currency
Federal Trade Commission – oversee business activities
Harrison Act – regulated distribution and use of narcotics
Smith-Lever Act – county agent system; grants to estab agricultural
extension program
Clayton Antitrust Act – weak
Keating-Own Act – Indirectly prohibited child labor ( prohibited taking
children across state lines for work)
National Park Service
Seamen’s Act – rights of merchant marines
Federal Farm Loan Act – low interest rural loans
18th Amendment – prohibition
19th Amendment – Woman suffrage
Women’s Bureau established within Department of Labor