Vassar College
Vassar College: 1896: Trusts and Monopolies
As part of a large site dealing with the election of 1896 is this article on Trusts and Monopolies. Although the focus is on the Republicans' anti-trust sentiments in the election, you can read about the rise of big business, monopolies,...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Power: Taming the Octopus: Standard Oil
Excerpt from Ida Tarbell's magazine expose of Standard Oil's manipulation of the American oil industry contrasted with excerpts from John D. Rockefeller's autobiography in which he defends the practices of his company.
National Women's Hall of Fame
National Women's Hall of Fame: Ida Tarbell
Read this portrait of Ida Tarbell, a Progressive Era journalist known for her innovative methods of investigative journalism.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Muckrakers
Sometimes a pen can be wielded more lethally than a sword. Read about the brave muckrakers who exposed corruption and injustice in government and business. These journalists attacked different areas, but the result was an introduction to...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Extreme Oil: The History
Part of an interactive timeline which focuses on the history of exploration, development, and use of oil and petroleum products in the United States from 1855-1919 with links at the bottom that continue through 2004.
Country Studies US
Country Studies: Corporations and Cities
Brief historical description of the growth of corporations and trusts at the end of the 1800s and how that trend led to the growth of urban areas to house this corporate movement.
The Washington Post
The Sherman Antitrust Act
This is a very short article, which briefly explains what a trust is and how a trust is formed. Included is a summary of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibited the creation of trusts and monopolies in 1890.