In what year did the Supreme Court order the Standard Oil Company to dissolve due to the Sherman Act?

• A. May, 1909
• B. May, 1913
• C. May, 1911
• D. May, 2011

Answer: (C)

The key fact here is the year the breakup was ordered under the Sherman Antitrust Act. The Sherman Act, passed in 1890, targets monopolies and restraints of trade, and a successful case can lead to remedies that restore competitive markets. In the Standard Oil case, the Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil’s practices violated the Act and ordered the company to dissolve into independent entities. This decision was issued in 1911, marking the moment the breakup was mandated. The other years don’t fit because the decisive ruling coming down to dissolve occurred in 1911, not 1909, 1913, or 2011.