The main reason the American public turned against monopolies was their perception that monopolies concentrated economic power in the hands of a few, undermining democracy and harming consumers by limiting competition, raising prices, and reducing product quality. This sentiment has deep historical roots, dating back to colonial America when monopolies granted by the government, such as the East India Company's trade monopoly, were seen as unjust special privileges that violated English and American rights to free trade. This anti-monopoly tradition influenced the American Revolution and the framing of the Constitution, where there was deliberate resistance to granting the federal government broad monopoly powers beyond patents and copyrights
. In the 19th century, growing industrial monopolies like Standard Oil and large railroad companies sparked public outcry due to their abusive practices, such as price-fixing and exclusionary tactics that harmed competitors and consumers. This led to the enactment of the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890, which was designed to protect consumers, promote economic liberty, and preserve democracy by preventing monopolistic control over markets. The act criminalized monopolization and conspiracies to monopolize, reflecting widespread concern that concentrated corporate power threatened democratic governance and economic fairness
. Prominent figures like Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and President Woodrow Wilson emphasized that democracy could not coexist with concentrated wealth and monopoly power, underscoring the political and social motivations behind anti-monopoly efforts. The public turned against monopolies because they were seen as a threat not only to fair markets but also to political equality and democratic institutions
. In summary, the American public's opposition to monopolies stemmed from their harmful economic effects on consumers and competitors, the threat monopolies posed to democratic governance, and a longstanding historical and constitutional tradition opposing government-granted special privileges and concentrated economic power
