Progessives and The Pure Food and Drug Act

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At the turn of the century America entered a new age that many historians call the Progressive Era. During this time period, the American Political system changed its view on how America should be brought about. It provided a purification of the American government through direct democracy. This era included many social and political reforms, which were brought about due to monopolies, and trust corporations. One the key pieces of legislation that was a prime example of the progressive era, was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. This law came about due to muckraking, and also because of public and political interests. Muckraking, such as Upton Sinclair’s piece, “The Jungle”, helped in the timing of the adoption of this legislature. This piece of legislature, allowed for the regulation of processed food items in United States food markets. The Pure Food and Drug Act was assigned to the Department of Agriculture under the Bureau of Chemistry (Law, 2004). The main reason that this law was put into place was because there were no regulations regarding food health and safety. There were also market failures due to the lack of food regulations, because the public could not tell if a certain food product had been altered in any way. Also many food markets completely neglected the environment, due to no set standard for environmental protection. This law also provided an economic boosts depending on how it was interpreted. Many businesses used this new process to raise the price of their competitors. They did this by putting constraints on entry restrictions (Woods 1986). At the state level, other laws were put in place to support the Food and Drug Act mainly to help local and area producers who were and would be facing new nat... ... middle of paper ... ...ous tests (Law, 2004). They also must now have the FDA’s approval in order for a certain food or drug to be sold directly to consumers. Also the marketplace has changed, due to new ways to process the product in a more safe and effective manner. There were also changes due to political, economical, social, and cultural changes since 1906. In conclusion, the Food and Drug Act paved the way for the Progressive movement and food safety in America. Works Cited Berkin, Carol. Making America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. Print. Law, Marc. The determinants of progressive era reform: the pure food and drugs act of 1906. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2004. Print. "Collection Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film." Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. .

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