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After the end of the Reconstruction of the South, the people of the United States of America were looking for a change. Between the years of 1865 and 1900 big businesses and monopolies had become overwhelmingly powerful. Especially in the field of railroads, the Robber Barons were almost unstoppable in their quest for more money. That was when it became necessary for the government to step in. The government passed the Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, as an attempt to control the powerful conglomerates. Of course those actions went against laissez faire and the government became actively involved in commerce. The government’s control of interstate commerce, railroad grants, and anti-trust activities were necessary for the good of the people, even though they violated the policy of laissez faire. Laissez faire basically means “hands off” and it refers to the government’s involvement in the economy. This concept was fir