Answer:
Monopolies forced small businesses to shut down.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Gilded Age, monopolies were very common. Monopolies developed due to two factors. First, the Industrial Revolution gave rise to many new industries that represented wonderful financial opportunities. The second reason is the fact that monopolies were not regulated effectively. As a monopoly captures all of the market of a particular product, monopolies often forced small businesses to shut down.