Would the Great Depression have occurred if the monopolies of the early 20th century were left intact?
Author: These companies were huge! Would FDR have to bail them out during the Depression? Or was it more like the Compromise of 1850, only delaying the inevitable onslaught of the Depression? Would the Great Depression have occurred earlier?
We experienced economic problems in the 1890's which is one or the reasons for the reforms that broke up the monopolies, However then almost half of the labor force still worked on farms so the effect were less.
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/whitten.panic.1893
By the time FDR took office in 1933 the GDP had fallen by 40% and there was over 20% unemployment, so if action were taken to save companies it would have had to be done by Hoover.