In what year did the Federal Court order the dissolution of Standard Oil?

In what year did the Federal Court order the dissolution of Standard Oil?

• A. 1909
• B. 1892
• C. 1905
• D. 1901

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how antitrust action leads to breaking up a monopoly when the government proves illegal control of trade. In the Standard Oil case, the United States filed a Sherman Act suit in 1906, and after years of litigation, the decisive ruling came in 1911, when the Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil to be dissolved into independent companies. That 1911 decision is the moment the breakup was mandated. The other years listed reflect earlier steps in the case rather than the final dissolution. This case is a landmark example of using antitrust law to restore competition by dissolving a dominant monopoly.

The idea being tested is how antitrust action leads to breaking up a monopoly when the government proves illegal control of trade. In the Standard Oil case, the United States filed a Sherman Act suit in 1906, and after years of litigation, the decisive ruling came in 1911, when the Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil to be dissolved into independent companies. That 1911 decision is the moment the breakup was mandated. The other years listed reflect earlier steps in the case rather than the final dissolution. This case is a landmark example of using antitrust law to restore competition by dissolving a dominant monopoly.