Question

Horizontal consolidation was an innovation in American business during the Guilded Age that sought to

a. Get shorter working hours, better & equal pay, safer conditions, and end child labor for workers
b. Control all of one step, no matter how many parts there are, of the industrial process
c. Legally control multiple companies, and their boards, under one overarching company/board
d. Control as many steps of a business or industry as possible, from raw materials to final product

Answer 1

Horizontal consolidation in the Gilded Age sought to control all of one step in an industrial process. It was used by businessmen like Rockefeller to create monopolies, leading to a clash with anti-monopoly laws like the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Step-by-step explanation:

Horizontal consolidation during the Gilded Age was an innovation in American business that allowed companies to control all of one step in the industrial process, regardless of the number of parts involved. This business strategy was pioneered by titans like John D. Rockefeller and his Standard Oil Company. Rockefeller's use of horizontal integration was effective because it effectively controlled the market by absorbing or eliminating competition, creating a monopoly on the refinement and distribution of petroleum products. However, the legality of these practices was questionable, as they often skirted the edges of anti-monopoly laws like the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. This led to public criticism and eventually antitrust lawsuits, including a famous one against Standard Oil Company that resulted in its dissolution.