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The Late 1800s And Early 1900s: The Reforms Of The Hepburn Act

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The Reforms of the Hepburn Act Crowds of fatigued men flock to the crow of the whistle for their day of backbreaking work away from their families, receiving little pay in perilous conditions. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, railroads became one of America’s rudimentary industrial enterprises. However, in a century of ruthless “Robber Barons” and their powerful monopolies, many lower class laborers were accustomed to meager wages, hazardous working conditions, and incessant shift hours. Most popular for its corruption, the railroad industry was headed by the captains Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould. In 1877, many railroad companies took advantage of more isolated areas through unfair shipping practices and inconsistent pricing (Laws.com). This prompted Congress to become involved through the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission, or ICC, which regulated railroad corporations and ensured lawful freight rates. However, until the early 1900s, the ICC was too weak to make any substantial difference in the Supreme Court on the issue of railroad corruption. In 1906, President …show more content…

Rebates, as written by Dr. Jason McCollom, Assistant Professor of History at Missouri State, are cash refunds that were awarded to major oil and steel corporations and other high-value customers. These rebates not only created, but strengthened the previously established monopolies between the major industries: oil, steel, and railroads. The primary Robber Barons of each industry could offer each other rebates in order to continue the reign of their low prices. However, because federal investigators had copies of the financial records of these large corporations, any sketchy evidence of rebates could be taken to court (McCollom). The Hepburn Act effectively eliminated the corrupt institution of rebates, in addition to founding maximum railroad

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