The History of the Standard Oil Company

Ida Tarbell's investigative reporting exposes the monopolistic practices of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, drawing from her childhood experiences. Her father's work for Standard Oil shaped her understanding of the community's struggles with "hate, suspicion, and fear." Originally serialized in McClure's Magazine, her work played a crucial role in the 1911 breakup of Standard Oil into thirty-four smaller companies, earning her recognition as a pioneering muckraker in journalism.