LAD #29

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act Summary


Senator Albert J. Beveridge's proposed the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act, which used Congress's ability to regulate interstate commerce, in order to regulate child labor. This act prohibited the sale of any goods produced anywhere where a child under 14 may be employed, from any mine that employed children younger than 16, years old, and prohibited the sale of goods made by any business that had children under the age of 16 working at night, or a duration lasting longer than 8 hours throughout the day. It was repealed by the Supreme Court in Hammer v. Dagenhart, but it did manage to set better working conditions and hours for adolescents under 1 years of age, while it lasted.

LAD # 28

Summary of Wilson's First Inaugural

Woodrow Wilson starts off his speech by emphasizing the dominance of the Democratic Party in government, and convincingly proclaims that change will be brought about. He declares, despite America's prior success, that this greatness has come with nature's destruction, inexcusable waste, high death rates, indifference to the people, and over-taxation. He brings up the idea that "our work is a work of restoration," and that correcting the  "evil" that has happened is much needed, and in fact, necessary. He address the tariff, the banking/ currency system, the industrial system, and the environment, and admits that these are issues that need some change. He talks about the government's duty to protect its people, and he declares the necessity of implementing sanitation laws, pure food laws, and laws that set a standard for working conditions. Lastly, he announces, "we shall restore, not destroy", promising change and requesting all to join in the efforts.

LAD #27

Read and summarize The Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act is an improvement to the previous laws passed that targeted towards monopolies and certain unlawful restraints. The second section of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act says that all prices of goods of equal quality and value must be set the same, and that the lessening of competition, and the prevention of a consumer's right to select their own customers, are to be prohibited. The seventh section of this act specifically inhibits corporations from holding stock in other commercial corporations. The intention of this act was to prevent big businesses from running the economy with their monopolies, and/or lessening the competition of trade and commerce.

LAD #26 - MLK

Summary of Martin Luther King's Speech 

Martin Luther King begins his speech in depicting the event as "the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation." He reflects back on the Emancipation Proclamation, created by Abe Lincoln, and announces that it truly gave hope to millions of slaves, and focuses/ brings needed attention to the tragic problems that African Americans faced because of the color of their skin. MLK reflects back on the United States Constitution, as well as the Declaration of Independence, and makes it clear that it was supposed to be intended that both blacks and whites received equal treatment and protection under the law. He makes it clear to the audience that that day was the day change needed to happen. He inspires the crowd to persist until the ultimate freedom is achieved, but warns not to stoop to dangerously low levels of hatred and/or violence. He encourages civil disobedience, and reminds the crowd that they deserve and need the same freedoms that white people have. MLK, as he’s most famous for then conducts his "I have a dream" speech, and admits that he hopes to see the day where both races will be able to "sit down together at the table of brotherhood" while free from segregation, racism, or differences of equality. MLK, as the motivational speaker he was, concludes his speech in saying that freedom must ring throughout America, for it was pretty much the only chance at peace.

This is a picture if Harriet Tubman, for she was an African-American abolitionist, as well as humanitarian, and stood for the same goals as Martin Luther King did.

LAD #21: Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

Read Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth - summarize

Carnegie begins by declaring that there is an issue in the economic association regarding the relationship between classes. There was a substantial gap between lower and upper (poor and wealthy) classes, especially due to the economy changing. Essentially the economy was based on the desires of the primary race, yet a state of wealth was scarce and it was given to very few people. The few people that the government allotted said wealth to, was a small group of citizens, rather than sharing the wealth and spreading it to all. Carnegie stated that in an effort to remove, or belittle surpluses of wealth, methods such as giving to charity, personal spending, inheritance (passing it down to the next generation), or donating the money for public uses, could not be viable options. Because he disproved of these methods, he then suggested imposing death taxes as a means to provide state proper share of the fortune, while at the same time allowing many people to have a lot of wealth. Andrew finishes in declaring that is the responsibility of the upper class to set good examples and do what’s best for the people and the economy.

This is a picture of Oprah Winfrey, because she is a philanthropist and an individual who belongs to the upper class, much like Carnegie. Carnegie stated that is the responsibility of the upper class to practice philanthropy, and Oprah Winfrey fits his image very closely.