Study From Historical Perspectives On The Birth Of The Sherman Act

United States is the first nation to enact antitrust law, which have long history and has great influence on antimonopoly law and enforcement of other countries. Promulgated in 1890, "Sherman Antitrust Act" laid the foundation for U.S. anti-trust statute. It is also the world's first anti-monopoly law in the modern sense. It set a good example for subsequent countries in making their own anti-monopoly legislation.The origin of the Sherman Act has its profound historical reasons. These historical factors mainly produced in the Industrial Revolution, nearly 30 years after the American war of independence. The economic structure changes and economic concentration led by industrialization is the economic basis of the birth of the Sherman Act. Anti-monopoly campaign launched mainly by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, farmers and workers is the social basis of the birth of the Sherman Act. Free and democratic tradition in American is the ideological basis of the birth of the Sherman Act.In learning research results at home and abroad, this paper try to discuss the root cause of birth of the Sherman Act from above three aspects, and have a thorough study to the history of competition for further understanding on constructing and perfecting the legal system at present.