Industry in America during the 1900's was in the "I'm walking, what next"", stages of infancy. Politics, although not so young, was dealing with the bourgeoning growth of industry. Regulation in American industry was veritably nonexistent during this time. Anything went, and everything went, providing they achieved profit. Huge quantities of immigrants arriving daily into the United States provided a bewildered and obedient workforce. If profit meant that we neglected workers or sanitary conditions the dollar spoke louder.

Large unregulated corporations began to dominate the U.S. after the civil war. The most harmful and biggest monopolies called "the trusts." The trusts were groups of corporations that would squeeze out free competition to keep the prices of their products low. Although the Sherman Anti-Trust of 1890 banned this, the U.S. government sparingly enforced the law believing that supply and demand would regulate the economy to the best interests...