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Difficulty: MediumProgressive Era Reforms and Influences

Source: Ida Tarbell, *The History of the Standard Oil Company*, 1904.

"Our great trust question is a question of public morals. We have been so long accustomed to congratulate ourselves on the size of our industries, the speed of our development, and the wealth of our individuals, that we have forgotten that the essential thing is the character of the business methods employed. The Standard Oil Company has shown us what can be done by combining great intelligence, relentless energy, and absolute lack of moral respect for the rights of others."

Which of the following federal policies was most directly influenced by the public exposure of corporate practices described in the excerpt?

  1. The enactment of antitrust legislation to strengthen government regulation of monopoliesAnswer
  2. B
    The adoption of a strict laissez-faire approach to allow natural competition to regulate prices
  3. C
    The immediate transition of the United States toward absolute economic isolationism
  4. D
    The alignment of federal policy with the demands of rural agrarian alliances for free silver

Answer

The enactment of antitrust legislation to strengthen government regulation of monopolies
The correct answer is correct because muckraking journalists like Ida Tarbell exposed the predatory and monopolistic practices of trusts, which succeeded in mobilizing public opinion and pressuring the federal government to pass legislation, such as the Clayton Antitrust Act, to strengthen corporate regulation and curb monopolies.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context and perspective.
The excerpt is from Ida Tarbell's muckraking work exposing the unethical business methods of the Standard Oil Company, focusing on the need for corporate regulation and moral business practices.
Understanding the source and its critique of trusts is essential to identifying the historical response.
2
Evaluate the historical impact of muckraking journalism during the Progressive Era.
Muckrakers exposed corporate corruption, which galvanized public demand for federal intervention and led to legislative reforms.
This links the stimulus directly to the correct historical consequence of trust-busting and regulatory reform.
3
Select the option that aligns with Progressive corporate regulation.
The correct option is the enactment of antitrust legislation to strengthen government regulation of monopolies, as seen in the Clayton Antitrust Act.
This option accurately reflects the federal policy shift toward corporate regulation during the Progressive Era.

Key Concept

Progressive Era corporate regulation and the role of muckrakers in shaping federal policy.

Hints

1
Identify the author's main critique in the passage. She is targeting 'great trust' organizations and their business methods.

Practice More

Review other muckraking efforts, such as Upton Sinclair's *The Jungle*, and compare their regulatory outcomes (e.g., Pure Food and Drug Act) with Tarbell's impact on antitrust policy.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Progressive Era Reforms and Influences

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