What significant issue was addressed in the Supreme Court case United States v. E.C. Knight Co.?

In the Supreme Court case United States v. E.C. Knight Co., the significant issue addressed was related to interstate commerce regulation. This landmark case in 1895 examined the extent of the federal government’s authority under the Sherman Antitrust Act to regulate monopolies and the commerce clause of the Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled that manufacturing, even when it involved products that would eventually be sold in interstate commerce, did not fall under the jurisdiction of federal regulation. Instead, the Court distinguished between manufacturing (which was seen as a local activity) and commerce (which spanned state lines). This decision limited the federal government’s ability to regulate monopolies that were not directly engaged in interstate commerce, thereby shaping the landscape for future legislation and regulatory measures regarding trade and commerce in the United States.