Assignment 1: The Interstate Commerce Act (ICC)

Chapter II: Review of Literature Antitrust Laws      The antitrust law began when the United States Congress passed the very first antitrust laws in 1890. These laws were called the Sherman Act. The Sherman Act was a “comprehensive character of economic liberty aimed at preserving free and unfettered competition as a rule of trade.” These Laws existed for many years.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was created to link the east and west coasts of America together to form the transcontinental railroad. America had growing interests in trading with Asian countries, and this railroad was the key. Throughout the 1850s America purchased over $10 million worth of land to build said railroad. After the Kansas-Nebraska act passed, Kansas became the center of attention. Due to building tension between the abolitionists and the pro-slavery parties Kansas turned into a very violent place.

This prompted Congress to become involved through the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission, or ICC, which regulated railroad corporations and ensured lawful freight rates. However, until the early 1900s, the ICC was too weak to make any substantial difference in the Supreme Court on the issue of railroad corruption. In 1906, President

United States v. Miller Kalyn Reading The case of the United States vs Miller is an intriguing case to say the least. It started with two men trying to transport sawed off shotguns and ended with a little bit of blood and some prison time. This was a case best explain by Doctor Brian L Frye in his paper The Peculiar Story of United States vs. Miller. “On June 2, 1938, Miller and Layton were both indicted on one count of violating 26 U.S.C. § 1132(c) by transporting an untaxed short-barreled shotgun in interstate commerce.

The Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad Company in 1828 was the first company to prove that railroads were profitable and practical. The railroads were a major advancement in the United States. The reason for these changes

Turning into a politically influential nation, it was simpler to refrain from overwhelming burden in help of manufacturers. The Interstate Commerce Act of 1877 extinguished the hunger for change since it managed railways. It called for transporters to decrease from offered undue inclinations to a specific individual, organization, firm, etc. (Doc 4) Favoritism would be eliminated, but so would the chance to progress intensely as exemplified in the act of legislature of 1888. As innovative advances took control of processed plants, laborers lost relevance to production.

1873 saw the emergence of one of the first unions, the Grange, formed by mid-west farmers facing bankruptcy and attempting to regulate the railroads. This failed in 1886 with a Supreme Court Ruling, citing individual states had no right to regulate interstate commerce. It did however, lead to the passing of the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The courts and politicians were firmly in the pocket of the barons, the little guy never really had a chance.

The Interstate Commerce Act (ICA) took place on February 4, 1887, when the Senate and House of Representatives granted Congress the power to regulate interstate railroads. This act included all transactions across several states. The Railroad Industry began taking advantage of the public by overcharging farmers, small business owners, and city to city passengers. The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 originally regulated shipping rates on the Railroad system, but later improved delivery of all kinds such as air travel, trucking, and shipping. The Railroad Industry’s unfair practices targeted the public with underhanded prices.

The end of slavery through the successful military tactics of the Union in the Civil War had the single most important impact as it pertains to education for the creation of educational opportunities for the newly freed African Americans. Prior to this, it was common knowledge that educating a slave was a criminal offense. The Morrill Act of 1862, named for Justin Smith Morrill, was designed to make education more accessible to more people of all socio-economic and social classes. Only, this Act did not take into consideration the education of black people. Due to systematic racism against this minority group, it was not until slavery was abolished that the second Morrill Act was implanted to focus on this long overlooked group.

The Commerce clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foregin nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes”. This clause is one of the most fundamental powers delegated to congress by the founders. It has helped to seprate the powers between the federal governemtn and the states, along with the branches of governemtn and Judiciary. In simpler terms the commerce clause was to help regulate commerce among navigable waters.

Then, in 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was set forth. This act was a federal law that prohibited monopolies. The Sherman Antitrust Act made any combination or trust in restraint of trade illegal. (Class notes, industrial reform evidence) There were many different types of social problems during this time period.

Because of the rapid settlement of the western land in the 1850s, Congress wanted to enforce a transcontinental railroad to replace America’s current weak transportation system—horse-drawn carriages were still used and soldiers often had to walk. But due to the constant competition between the Northern members and the Southern

From the Constitution’s ratification in 1787 through the 1850s, many American historians shared the consensus that the founding fathers had designed the Constitution the way they did because they were trying to protect the citizens and their rights. James Kent was one very prominent historian among this group. In his book, Commentaries on American Law (1826), he stated “THE government of the United States was erected by the free voice and joint will of the people of America, for their common defence [defense] and general welfare...and it is justly deemed the guardian of our best rights, the source of our highest civil and political duties, and the sure means of national greatness.” (Kent) Essentially, James Kent was trying to convey the point

Among the significant pieces of legislation passed by Congress during Taft's presidency was the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910, empowering the Interstate Commerce Commission to suspend railroad

The first way that the economy was impacted was that with the ease and efficiency of the railroads, they created a large demand for goods and labor because they needed a lot of people to help build the railroads and also needed a large quantity of steel for the rails and wood for the railroad ties. Secondly the railroads created a huge national market because of the simplicity of delivering goods from place to place. The railroads helped the people in even the most rural place prosper with the cost efficient transportation of the trains. From 1830 to 1861, the United States laid aproximately 30,000 miles of railroad track, which led to an increase in demand for coal which was used to produce iron for the