Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921

The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921, also called the Maternity Act, was a milestone in the Progressive Era, providing for federal funding for social services. Its purpose was to reduce infant and maternity mortality rates in the United States, especially in poorer families. Promoted by progressives and feminists, the law was attacked as "socialistic" by the American Medical Association and others, and challenged in the Supreme Court.

• Sheppard-Towner Act