Megan's AP American Blog

LAD/Blog #27: MLK Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most famous speeches of all time. He begins this by referencing Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. He says that it was a huge step, but African Americans are still not free. He says that America has not kept its promise of giving all citizens their rights, and that they need to take action. He says they must take action and cannot turn back, they cannot stop until civil rights are given. However, he says that African Americans must not resort to violence while fighting to end discrimination. He then speaks the well known line, “I have a dream…” Multiple times he repeats this, with his dreams of a free America for all peoples. It is the hope he has for America. I think some of the strongest dreams are the ones in which he calls out specific states- he is sparking change, and when he says, “I have a dream today.” He calls to America to help ...

LAD/Blog #30: Wilson's First Inaugural On Tuesday, March 13th, 1913, Woodrow Wilson gave his First Inaugural Address. In this speech, he demonstrated his many progressive beliefs. He began by saying how the government had transitioned into being fully Democratic, and that the nation is looking to use that to make changes, and to get rid of the old. Additionally, he said that with the good comes the bad. He touches on the industrial aspect of society, and how it has been incredibly beneficial…yet in some areas not so much. He acknowledges the lives lost, and the weight put upon the men women and children that have worked so hard for nothing. This is incredibly progressive for his time, especially when he says, “The great Government we loved has too often been made use of for private and selfish purposes, and those who used it had forgotten the people.” He says now there must be a cleansing, and correct these evils while maintaining what is positive. He says th...

LAD/Blog #29: Clayton Anti-Trust Act The complicated Clayton Anti-Trust Act was created to strengthen the vaguer Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. It gave the government more power to act against trusts. Being much more detailed than its earlier counterpart, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act had five major points: ending price fixing, stopping unfair tying and exclusive dealing practices, giving private parties more power to sue, permitted labor unions to form, and ended “anticompetitive mergers.” This act contained many more nuances to stop the overwhelming power of big businesses, and also protected the public by exempting labor unions from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Federal Trade Commission was created in 1914 through the Federal Trade Commission Act. This played a role in halting the power of trusts, and helped to enforce the Clayton Anti-Trust Act. Mainly, it was (and is) responsible for keeping businesses and their competitions fair. The Antitrust Division of the US Department of J...

LAD/Blog #28: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916 was created to prevent interstate commerce for products produced by child labor. It said that there would be no shipment or delivery of products worked on by children in the past 30 days (with certain guidelines). Those who disobeyed this law could be severely punished. Also, it said that a board would be formed to make rules and regulations regarding this act, and that the Secretary of Labor would have authority to enter and inspect workplaces to see that they were following the law. Additionally, those who violated the law would have to pay a fine or face imprisonment (or both). This well-meaning law, otherwise known as the Wick’s Bill, was short lived. In 1918, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional in the court case Hammer v. Dagenhart 247 U.S. 252, because it overstepped the government’s capabilities of regulating commerce between the states. The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act ...