Congress outlaws trusts; the Sherman Act clears both chambers without a single dissenting vote

By 1890, a handful of trusts controlled oil, steel, railroads, and sugar, squeezing out competitors and setting prices with little regard for the marketplace beneath them. In 1890, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, outlawing contracts, combinations, and conspiracies that restrained interstate trade. The Act gave the federal government new power to pursue the dissolution of trusts and allowed injured parties to sue for triple damages. The bill had cleared the Senate 52 to 1 and the House 242 to 0…