The 1906 Food and Drug Act and creation of the FDA

In June 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the Food and Drug Act, also known as the
"Wiley Act." The Act prohibited, under penalty of seizure of goods, the interstate transport of food
which had the potential to injure people. It also said people could not sell medicine that was likely to
make people sick.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and
Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments, responsible for protecting and
promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products,
medications, medical devices, animal products, and cosmetics.
The FDA also enforces other laws. These include sanitation requirements on interstate travel and
control of disease on products ranging from certain household pets to other things.
The FDA is led by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, appointed by the President with the advice
and consent of the Senate. The Commissioner reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The 21st and current Commissioner is Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg. She has served as Commissioner
since February 2009.

1. What types of products does the FDA inspect?

2. Who decides run the FDA?

EXTRA CREDIT: What muckraker exposed problems at a meatpacking

plant?
1913 and Income Taxes
The Sixteenth Amendment (Amendment XVI) to the United States Constitution allows the Congress to
levy an income tax without approval of the states. It was passed on February 3, 1913. Typically, the
wealthy are taxed more. This allows the national government to get money in order to run federal
programs such as the military, various welfare programs, to pay politicians, etc. Below are the actual
words of the Amendment:
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever
source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to
any census or enumeration.

1. When was the 16th Amendment passed?

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2. Why is the 16 Amendment important?
3. Which branch of government has the power to to collect taxes?
1913 and the Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System (also known as the Federal Reserve, and informally as The Fed) is the
central banking system of the United States. It was created in 1913 with the enactment of the Federal
Reserve Act. Over time, the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System have expanded,
but basically they are suppose to monitor and maintain the nations wealth.
The Federal Reserve System's structure is composed of the presidentially appointed Board of
Governors (or Federal Reserve Board), the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), twelve regional
Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation, numerous other private U.S.
member banks and various advisory councils.
According to the Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve is independent within government in the
sense that "its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive or
legislative branch of government." However, its authority is derived from the U.S. Congress and is
subject to congressional oversight. Additionally, the members of the Board of Governors, including its
chairman and vice-chairman, are chosen by the President and confirmed by Congress. The government
also exercises some control over the Federal Reserve by appointing and setting the salaries of the
system's highest-level employees. Thus the Federal Reserve has both private and public aspects.

1. What is the job of the Federal Reserve?

2. What is the structure of the Federal Reserve? (Who's in charge?
How are they picked?)
3. What makes the Federal Reserves role in America really
complicated?
1913 and Henry Fords 5 Dollar Work Day
In 1913, Henry Ford, adopted the moving assembly line, with each worker doing one simple task in the
production of automobiles. One person would focus on a very specific part, meaning they would be
very good at that one part of production. On one hand, you could save money because the workers were
unskilled, but on the other hand the workers were unskilled! Taking his cue from developments during
the progressive era, Ford offered a very generous wage for the time period—$5 a day—to his (male)
workers. He did this because he believed that a mass production enterprise, like a car company, could
not survive if average workers could not buy the goods. Because his workers made a good wage, they
were happy, which made them very successful and motivated. They were also good for advertising,
because people would see them riding around in Automobiles, rare early in the 1900's.

The $5 work day is probably most important for its effects on other businesses. Soon workers around
Detroit, and later around the country, began asking for similar wages. This caused the standard of living
for people around the entire country to go up, and soon people were buying all sorts of commercial
products.

1. What made Henry Ford's style of production unique?

2. Why did people want to work for Henry Ford?
3. What was the impact of Ford's style on people all over the country?