Excerpt from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, 1890
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Sec. 1. 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. Every person who shall make any such contract or engage in any such combination or conspiracy, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, at the discretion of the court.
Sec. 2. Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof; shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
Which president was the first to use this law to aggressively challenge the dominance of American corporations?
A.
Theodore Roosevelt
B.
Grover Cleveland
C.
William McKinley
D.
William Taft
A. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to use the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to aggressively challenge the dominance of American corporations.
To answer this question, we can reason through the historical context and the information provided in the excerpt. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act, mentioned in the passage, was enacted in 1890. Therefore, we are looking for a president who served after 1890 and would have had the opportunity to use this law to challenge the dominance of American corporations.
Among the options provided, Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, and William Taft all served as presidents in the early 1900s, close to the time when the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was enacted. However, Grover Cleveland served non-consecutive terms, with his first term ending in 1897 and his second term beginning in 1893. This means Grover Cleveland was serving as president at the time the Sherman Anti-Trust Act came into effect.
However, the question asks for the first president to aggressively challenge the dominance of American corporations using this law. It is widely known that Theodore Roosevelt was a strong advocate for trust-busting and actively used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act during his presidency from 1901 to 1909.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
A. Theodore Roosevelt.