The Progressive Movement – Economic Issues Monopoly and Trusts: –Sherman Antitrust Act: 1890 – made trusts illegal. also addressed price fixing and restraint of trade practices not well enforced at first – but is important because of the indication of government regulation of businesses

Child Labor at first reduced – then eliminated marked the beginning of the creation of mandatory public schooling for children

Consumer Protection Meat Inspection Act: set standards for meat packing cleanliness and federal inspections Pure Food and Drug Act: prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure or falsely labeled food and drugs

Working Conditions Progressives had mixed results in attempts to limit working hours at first: Lochner v. New York: ruled against limiting hours in bakeries because it violated the original contract between the employer and the employees Muller v. Oregon: allowed women’s hours to be limited in order to protect the health of the women. This often kept women out of higher paying jobs. In general though, the labor union movement did grow in importance during this time