Read the excerpt Sen. John Sherman from Ohio proposed the Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890. It was the first measure the U.S. Congress passed to prohibit trusts, monopolies, and cartels from taking over the general market. It also outlawed contracts, conspiracies, and other business practices that restrained trade and created monopolies within industries. At the time, public hostility was growing toward large corporations like Standard Oil and the American Railway Union, which were seen as unfairly monopolizing certain industries. Consumers felt they were hit with exorbitantly high prices on essential goods, while competitors found themselves shut out because of deliberate attempts by large corporations to keep other enterprises out of the market. This signaled an important shift in the American regulatory strategy toward business and markets. After the 19th-century rise of big business, American lawmakers reacted with a drive to regulate business practices more strictly. The Sherman Antitrust Act paved the way for more specific laws like the Clayton Act. Measures like these had widespread popular support, but lawmakers genuinely wanted to keep the American market economy broadly competitive in the face of changing business practices. Competing individuals or businesses are not permitted to fix prices, divide markets, or attempt to rig bids. It also lays out specific penalties and fines intended for businesses that violate these rules. The act can impose both civil and criminal penalties on companies that don't comply. (Investopedia). Answer the question What was the purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act? Group of answer choices To halt business activities that created monopolies. To help create monopolies that benefited the public interest. To gain the confidence of people seeking to increase profits. To establish procedures for permissive business practices.