Passed in 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was the first major legislation passed to address oppressive business practices associated with cartels and oppressive monopolies. The Sherman Antitrust Act is a federal law prohibiting any contract, trust, or conspiracy in restraint of interstate or foreign trade.orporations may be fined up to $10 million per violation. Like most laws, the Sherman Antitrust Act has been expanded by court rulings and other legislative amendments since its passage. One such amendment came in the form of the Clayton Act.