Grey background with red text and image of mermaid and fish, red banner across middle with white block text, bold black border around edge with white block text

New York State consists of over 7,600 freshwater lakes, ponds and reservoirs, nearly 600 miles of ocean and Great Lake coastline, and 1,500 square miles of marine estuaries and over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.  In 1972 Congress passed the Clean Water Act to monitor water quality nationally but places the responsibility primarily on the states.  Over the past 40 years the NYSDEC has funded hundreds of projects to improve water quality in New York.

An illustration of a foaming beer mug with blue text above and below the image on a white background.

This anti-prohibition button has the popular "We Want Beer" slogan as its message. Many Americans shared this sentiment, including US troops coming back from foreign wars to discover one of their favorite freedoms had been taken away.  Prohibition was mandated in the US in 1920 by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and repealed in 1933 with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment.

Black lettering on metallic gold background.

The Women's suffrage movement began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) in 1869. The NWSA became the foremost organization lobbying for suffrage.  The movement merged with other groups and achieved gradual progress at state and local levels until the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

Blue text on white background

In 1920 Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment banning the sale, production, and transportation of alcohol in the United States. This desicion was a highly contentious issue. On the one hand, supporters of the ban heralded prohibition as a victory for public morality and health. On the other hand, however, the "wets," whose sentiments are voiced here on this button, saw it as an intrusion of middle class Protestant ideals on what was an important aspect of urban, immigrant, and Catholic everyday life. Congress reversed this decision in 1933 by passing the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed prohibition.

Illustration of a blue house surrounded by blue border; white text on border with each word separated by a white star. 

The National Housing Act established the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in 1934. It was meant to regulate interest rates and mortgage terms after the banking crisis of 1930s and to insure mortgages issued by qualified lenders, so the FHA covered the unpaid balances on mortgages. It also set standards for construction, underwriting, and insured loans made by banks and other private lenders. The program lead to stability in the housing market and the increased availability of funding for home building and purchasing. The program still exists today and its main purpose is to improve housing standards and conditions, provide adequate home financing, and to stabilize the mortgage market. A part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it is the only completely self-funded government agency. 

Orange background with thick blue border along edge; white text on blue portion; blue text on orange portion; white banner across middle with blue text

This button promotes the Oconomowoc-Milwaukee-Road Association in Wisconsin. The Association raised funds for the construction and improvement of the main highway in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The highway was the main artery that connected Milwaukee County and Goerke’s Corner, which saw heavy traffic and needed repair. The project had strong start in 1912 and garnered many supporters and funding.  However, interest dwindled as years passed, and Waukesha County could not allocate enough funds to support the project.

Black open umbrella with white text above a white state of Ohio with black text on red background.

This button is advocating Prohibition law passage for the state of Ohio. The umbrella image and "safety first" is commonly used on Prohibition buttons. This button predated national Prohibition, which banned the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol in the United States. Prohibition was mandated in the US in 1920 by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and repealed in 1933 with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment.

Illustration of half open blue umbrella with white text on it on a red background with a thin white outline near the edge.

The umbrella image and "safety first" is commonly used on Prohibition buttons. Prohibition was mandated in the US in 1920 by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and repealed in 1933 with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment.

Top half red, bottom half blue with white circle in middle; red, white, and blue shield graphic inside white circle; white text along border

Produced by the America First Committee (AFC), most likely a Chicago chapter, this button echoed the organization's simple, yet effective appeal to legislators, "Defend America First." Promulgated in September 1940 by Yale Law School student R. Douglas Stuart Jr., along with other students, the AFC snowballed into one of the foremost anti-war movements in American history—denouncing any and all forms of US involvement in World War II. Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the AFC peaked with nearly 800,000 dues-paying members and included such prominent leaders as General Robert E. Wood, famed aviator Charles A. Lindbergh, as well as Senator Charles P. Nye. Geographically, Illinois became one of the leagues' strongholds with over 135,000 members and 60 chapters.

The AFC not only opposed direct US military involvement, but it also protested any and all forms of aid sent to Great Britain and Allied countries. They feared support would lead to direct military involvement. Although the AFC's effective campaign failed to stop the passage of the Lend-Lease Act or halt the repeal of the Neutrality Act, the organization's pressure upon Congress and the White House may have potentially saved thousands of American lives. 

White text on red background with gold outer rim.

Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International Union, also known as Unite Here, represents workers in the hospitality, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, laundry, and airport industries. Local 122 is the local chapter of the union for members in the Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Washington counties in Wisconsin.