McKinley Tariff Act
Quick Summary
The McKinley Tariff Act, enacted in 1890, was a piece of United States legislation that significantly raised protective tariffs on imported goods. The primary goal was to protect American industries and farmers from foreign competition. This act was part of a long-standing debate in U.S. economic policy regarding the use of tariffs for revenue and protectionism. While intended to boost domestic production, such high tariffs often led to retaliatory measures from other countries, impacting international trade. The McKinley Tariff was one of several notable tariff acts in U.S. history, including the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909 and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which also aimed to protect American industries but had complex effects on the global economy.123
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Benjamin HarrisonPresidency…in which conservatives gained the McKinley Tariff Act (1890), which substantially raised duties on most imports, but yielded to agrarians and reformers in measures such as the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890), which outlawed “every contract, combination…or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce,” and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of…
Read More…in which conservatives gained the McKinley Tariff Act (1890), which substantially raised duties on most imports, but yielded to agrarians and reformers in measures such as the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890), which outlawed “every contract, combination…or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce,” and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of…
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United StatesThe McKinley tariffThis was accomplished in the McKinley Tariff Act of October 1890, passed by Congress one month before the midterm elections of that year. The tariff was designed to appeal to the farmers because some agricultural products were added to the protected list. A few items, notably sugar, were placed on…
Read MoreThis was accomplished in the McKinley Tariff Act of October 1890, passed by Congress one month before the midterm elections of that year. The tariff was designed to appeal to the farmers because some agricultural products were added to the protected list. A few items, notably sugar, were placed on…
Read More