Chapter 8 Reteaching & Enrichment

Children’s Bureau President: William Howard Taft Groups affected: Children and businesses Accomplishment: Investigated and publicized child labor problems.

Meat Inspection Act President: Theodore Roosevelt Groups affected: Meatpackers and consumers Accomplishment: Meat sold between states could be inspected enforced cleaner conditions in meatpacking plants.

Nineteenth Amendment President: Woodrow Wilson Group affected: Women Accomplishment: Guaranteed women the right to vote.

Federal Trade Commission President: Woodrow Wilson Group affected: Businesses Accomplishment: Gave government the power to investigate companies and issue “cease and desist” orders against companies engaging in unfair trade practices.

Federal Reserve Act President: Woodrow Wilson Groups affected: Banking industry and general public Accomplishment: Protected banks and depositors from economic downturns by requiring a portion of deposits be kept in reserve; provided central bank for controlling interest rates and the amount of money in circulation.

Question #1 The number of both males and females in the labor force grew quickly, females at a faster rate than males. Women in the labor force increased from 17 percent in 1890 to 20 percent in 1920, while males declined from 83 percent to about 80 percent during the period.

Question #2 Children in the labor force increased from 4,064,000 to 4,487,000, but in terms of percentage of total workers, this was a decline or a drop from 14.8 percent to 11.4 percent.

Question #3 The Progressive movement affected the number of children but not the number of women. More women worked in 1920 than in 1890, but progressives were more interested in protecting women workers (limiting hours, and so on) than in preventing them from working.

Question #4 Wages were generally kept low because of the large numbers of women and children in the workforce.

Question #5 Business owners would probably have wanted to continue to employ women and children in order to keep their production costs low. Businesses would, therefore, oppose Progressive reforms aimed at keeping children out of the workforce and limiting the hours of women and children.