1883day.year
Alabama becomes the first U.S. state to enact an anti-trust law.
On February 23, 1883, Alabama became the first U.S. state to enact an anti-trust law aimed at curbing corporate monopolies. This pioneering regulation paved the way for later federal antitrust legislation.
The Alabama Anti-Trust Act was designed to prohibit combinations of companies that restrained trade or fixed prices. Its passage reflected growing public concern over the concentration of corporate power during the Gilded Age. The law authorized courts to dissolve illegal trusts and impose fines on offending businesses. Many states soon followed Alabama's example, passing their own antitrust statutes. These efforts culminated in the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 at the federal level. Alabama's early action marked a significant development in American economic regulation.
1883
Alabama
U.S. state
anti-trust law