Legislation · 1890

Sherman Antitrust Act

Named for Republican Senator John Sherman of Ohio and signed by President Benjamin Harrison, the act declared illegal every contract, combination or conspiracy in restraint of interstate or foreign trade and made it a crime to monopolize or attempt to monopolize any part of that trade. It passed the Senate 51–1 and the House 242–0.

“Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal.”

Senator John Sherman (sponsor), July 2, 1890

Why it matters

The first federal antitrust law was weakened early by the Supreme Court’s E. C. Knight decision (1895) but was revived by Theodore Roosevelt’s trust-busting, including the Northern Securities case (1904), and later used against Standard Oil and Microsoft; it remains a foundation of American competition law.

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Primary Source

The original record, reproduced or linked from the institution that holds it. Primary sources show what people said and did in their own words.

Subjects

economy antitrust competition regulation

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