Sherman Antitrust Act

The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was a landmark legislation intended to discourage and restrict anti-competitive tactics by larger companies, or trusts. At the time of its passage, there were a lot of small business owners in the United States, mostly farmers but also a rising number of trusts and monopolies. Trusts such as the Sugar Trust and the Railroad Trust amassed overwhelming market share and were beginning to use their power to set prices, leverage their control over supply levels to influence prices, and act in exclusionary ways that prevented smaller businesses from engaging in competition and consumers from experiencing the benefits of a healthy, competitive market.

Despite being criticized for its nonspecific language and simplicity, the act in effect created the opportunity for judicial ...