Two cases, Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Co. v. Illinois and Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, demonstrated that the Supreme Court in 1886 was primarily
A) conservative and supported big business
B) conservative but opposed big business
C) progressive and supported labor unions
D) progressive but opposed labor unions

Question

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These cases illustrate the Supreme Court's conservative inclination towards supporting big business interests during that period. Wabash significantly limited states' power to regulate interstate commerce, favoring national over state regulation, which often benefited large corporations. Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad is famously noted for the Court's recognition of corporations as "persons" under the Fourteenth Amendment, thereby extending certain constitutional protections to businesses.

Two Cases, Wabash, St