Instructions: Identify the Following

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The Answer is The Northern Securities Company was a short-lived American railroad trust formed in 1901 by E.H. Harriman, James J. Hill, J.P. Morgan, and their associates. The company was a consolidation of several major railroad systems in the Northwest, including the Northern Pacific Railway, the Great Northern Railway, and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The creation of the trust was an attempt to control competition among the railroads, essentially creating a monopoly in the transportation markets of the Northwest.

The significance of the Northern Securities Company lies in its role in the history of U.S. antitrust law. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt, in his pursuit of the "trust-busting" policies, directed the Justice Department to sue the Northern Securities Company under the Sherman Antitrust Act, which was designed to combat anti-competitive practices. This was a landmark case because it was one of the first times the federal government took strong action against monopolies.

The case, Northern Securities Co. v. United States, went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in a 5-4 decision in 1904 that the Northern Securities Company was indeed an illegal monopoly and ordered its dissolution. This decision was significant because it was a major victory for the antitrust movement and set a precedent for the federal government's ability to regulate big business. It also bolstered Roosevelt's reputation as a "trust buster" and helped to define his presidency.

The dissolution of the Northern Securities Company marked an important moment in the Progressive Era, a time when the government began to take a more active role in regulating the economy and addressing the social issues caused by industrialization and the growth of corporate power.

Instructions: Identify the Following

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