STAAR Review Various Acts of the U.S. Government…

Homestead Act 1862 – 160 acres of free land. Encouraged westward migration

Pendleton Act 1883 – Must take civil service exam for govt job. End of spoils system

American Indian Citizenship Act 1924 – Gave Native Americans U.S. citizenship

Sherman Anti-Trust Act 1890 – First U.S. legislation against trusts and big business. Moving away from Laissez-Faire policy

Clayton Anti-Trust Act 1914 – Clarified and made stronger the Sherman Anti- Trust Act

Interstate Commerce Act 1887 – Regulates the Railroad industry.

Pure Food and Drug Act 1906 – Regulates food and drug sales in the U.S.

Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 – Eliminated Chinese immigration to America

Federal Reserve Act 1913 – Established the Federal Banking system in the U.S.

Social Security Act 1935 – Old age pensions and aid for dependents

National Park Act 1916 – Established the NPS (national park service) and set aside land for conservation

Educational Amendments of 1972 – Title IX 1972 – Prohibits sex discrimination in schools supported by federal dollars (sports, programs, etc.)

Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 ( Marshall Plan ) – Gave economic aid to allies to help rebuild after WWII (worth about 130 billion in today’s dollars)

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (GI Bill) 1944 – College money, home loans, job assistance for former GI’s (servicemen & women)

Interstate Highway Act 1956 – Creation of federal highway system to span the U.S.

Endangered Species Act 1973 – Provides for conservation of threatened or endangered species of animals in the U.S.

Clean Air Act 1990 – Controls and limits pollution in the U.S.

Community Reinvestment Act 1977 – Encouraged banking institutions to lend money to local communities to facilitate economic progress

U.S. Patriot Act 2001 – Designed to intercept and obstruct terrorism

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 – Designed to help Americans and banks recover from the housing industry crash

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1964 – Gave President permission to act in any way necessary to promote peace(war) in Southeast Asia (Vietnam)

War Powers Act 1973 – Checks the President’s power to wage war without the consent of Congress

Civil Rights Act of – Increased voting rights for minorities and created a federal watchdog program to ensure compliance

Civil Rights Act of – Outlawed discrimination based on race, sex, color, and religion

Voting Rights Act of – Prohibits discrimination in voting. Outlawed poll tax and literacy tests

Medicare and Medicaid Act of – Health insurance program for the poor

Americans with Disabilities Act Its overall purpose is to make American Society more accessible to people with disabilities