Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal: Trust-busting (jan 1, 1901 – jan 1, 1909)

Description:

Roosevelt gained popularity for being the “trust-busting” president – the first President to make use of the Sherman Antitrust Act since its passage in 1890. He broke up dozens of trusts, including Standard Oil and the Northern Securities Company (a railroad company he particularly disliked), for harming the public by stifling competition. Despite having sided with trusts a few times in the past, the Supreme Court upheld the President’s antitrust actions as being Constitutional. However, Roosevelt did not believe that all trusts needed to be “busted;” the ones that dominated an industry simply by being efficient and maintaining low prices were simply regulated and not broken up.

Added to timeline:

Date: