1. Summary of the Reform Movement By The Trust-Busters From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Americans struggled due to the fact that monopolies and trusts left much of the nations wealth in the hands of a small group of powerful men. During the Reconstruction Era, Radical Republicans established Laissez-Faire policies that favored Northern Industrialists. These policies set no regulations on stock, sanitation, or fixed price rates. Some policies, such as The Homestead Act, allowed certain eligible persons to have 160 acres of land if they met certain conditions. This act was an example of how the federal government promoted western migration by basically giving away public lands or selling them at rock-bottom prices. The early railroad companies in America quickly developed into the nations first monopolies. The Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 and 1864 gave the railroad companies large land grants to build on. These land grants promoted big businesses which turned into trusts. Our job is to bust these trusts.