1. THE RISE OF BIG BUSINESS: VANDERBILT AND THE RAILROADS APUSH – SPICONARDI

2. THE COMMODORE Cornelius Vanderbilt Railroad tycoon known as the Commodore Purchased massive amounts of stock in Railroad companies to take them over Controlled all the railroad lines into Manhattan New York Central and Hudson, Harlem, New Haven lines Known as a ruthless business man Wound up buying most of the rail lines between Buffalo and Chicago

4. GRAND CENTRAL DEPOT

7. THE RAILROAD BUSINESS MODEL Rebates  a special discount given to a railroad company’s best customers If a shipper promised to exclusively use a railroad company, they would be granted the special low freight rate This allowed a shipper to undercut their competitors Smaller railroad companies and shipping companies would go out of business due to rebates Pools  Railroad companies in the same market would agree to divide up business to avoid competition This led to price fixing Price fixing  Railroad companies would conspire to charge the same high shipping rates to customers

8. THE GRANGE MOVEMENT National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry Organization formed in 1867 to support western farmers Provided opportunities for leisure and social activities to end isolation Established banks and insurance companies to assist farmers Lobbied federal government for laws to protect farmers’ interests from big business Wanted fair freight rates and warehouse storage fees Led to the development of Greenback Party, Farmer’s Alliance, and Populist movement

11. MUNN V. ILLINOIS (1877) The Supreme Court ruled that states could regulate businesses “clothed in the public interest” Examples: Railroads and grain elevators Some justices feared to many regulations would impede business and hurt the marketplace

12. WABASH, ST. LOUIS & PACIFIC UNION RAILROAD V. ILLINOIS (1886) The Supreme Court reverses the Munn v. Illinois decision. Only the federal government could regulate railroads engaged in interstate trade Applied the Fourteenth Amendment towards corporations No state can “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law” Yet, the court wouldn’t use this amendment to protect the rights of blacks

13. INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT OF 1887 In response to Wabash v. Illinois, the federal government passed the Interstate Commerce Act The Act The federal government could oversee railroad activities Required the railroads to publicize their rates and file them with the federal government Rates must be “reasonable and just” The Interstate Commerce Act had no real power until Theodore Roosevelt