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Rockefeller
Although not an actual supreme court case, Ida Tarbell Vs. John D. Rockefeller not only
set a precedent for the tolerance this country holds for monopolies, but also paved the way for
many other people to expose the corruption in America at the time. Ida Tarbell was an American
teacher and journalist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her father moved her and her
family to Pennsylvania in 1860, in hopes of being able to capitalize on the rising oil industry at
the time. However, it was later discovered in Tarbells published writing The History of the
Standard Oil Company that it was the monopolistic practices of John D. Rockefeller and his
involvement with the railroad industry is what drove Tarbell's fathers small oil company out of
business. In this book, Tarbell also exposed Rockefeller for the man he was, with claims of
mistreating his workers and being greedy among other things. It was this book, in fact, that gave
Ida Tarbell the reputation for being Americas first great woman journalist (Allegheny).
In her writings, Ida Tarbell uses phrases such as most conspicuous type of our present
dominating commercial man and Mr. Rockefeller must face the verdict of the public by which
he lives to describe and discuss John D. Rockefeller, while mentioning his passion for money
(Tarbell). Naturally, Tarbell would have a negative viewpoint of Rockefeller, given the fact that
he was the reason that Tarbells father was out of business. However, Tarbell does credit
Rockefeller in her book as well. It wouldve been difficult not to, considering he was the
wealthiest person in the world at that point. Regardless of personal feelings towards him, no one,
not even Ida Tarbell, couldve justifiably discredited the work that Rockefeller did to achieve his
success.
esque manner. The unnamed author states, Although his economics may be suspect in modern
eyes, his solution -- a market with a few (maybe one) large, vertically integrated firms -- in effect
an oligopolistic market -- was what other industrial sectors eventually evolved to do. (PBS). In
short, what Rockefeller was doing by taking complete control of the Oil Industry is what other,
smaller oil companies would eventually attempt to do. So what would Rockefeller do? Beat them
to the punch.
So, what resolution came from Ida Tarbells writings? Well, according to
ConnecticutHistory.org, Tarbells work was largely attributable to the 1911 Supreme Court
decision, which found the Standard Oil Company in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act
(Piascik). This ruling forced the Standard Oil Company to break up into 34 separate companies.
Ironically enough, Rockefeller profited greatly off of this ruling, given that he continued to have
large holdings in all 34 new companies, allowing him to continue to expand his wealth. Its hard
to say whether or not the Standard Oil Company ever wouldve been broken up or if Rockefeller
ever wouldve been exposed for his questionable business practices had it not been for Ida
Tarbell. One would assume that a company of that magnitude would have eventually been found
in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. However, how many more families and companies
would have had to go bankrupt for that to happen, had Tarbell not done what she did? Whatever
that answer may be, Tarbells act of writing should be remembered as one of the great
The breakdown of the Standard Oil Company, however, was not the only major effect
that Ida Tarbells writings had. Tarbell, despite not considering herself to be one, was one of the
pioneers of the muckrakers. Without people like her leading the charge in the Progressive Era,
who knows what kind of corruption this country wouldve been facing as we transitioned into
World War One and The Great Depression. Tarbells writing inspired a variety of other authors to
take-part in this new investigative journalism. Ida B. Wells, an African American Woman in
the early 20th century, published her research on Jim Crow laws and lynching in a pamphlet in
entitled Southern Horrors: Lynch Laws in All Its Phases. Ida B. Wells already wouldve been
considered a minority in the fact that she was African American and she was a woman. She
published these findings in a time period 30 years after the conclusion of the Civil War, and 20
years before women could vote. Defeating the odds, Wells helped bring Jim Crow and lynching
into the light, after pioneer Ida Tarbell paved the way for her and others like her.
One other muckraker that Tarbell paved the way for was B.O. Flower. Benjamin Orange
Flower was a muckraking journalist in the late 19th and early 20th century. He is most famous
for being the editor of a magazine titled The Arena that spanned from 1889-1909. Through the
issues of his magazine, Flower often advocated for prison reform, less capital punishment,
womens suffrage, reform of divorce law, the relationship of poverty and crime, and race
relations. Given his popular article subjects, times in this country havent changed much, as
many of topics are ones that we continue to write about to this day. Similar to Ida B. Wells,
Flower viewed the success that Tarbell found in her writings and wanted similar success in the
areas that he was passionate about. Thanks to the leadership that Tarbell showed in The History
of the Standard Oil Company, other authors, such as Wells and Flower, were inspired and spoke
Its impossible to learn about muckrakers, and the entire Progressive Era without looking
at Ida Tarbell taking on John D. Rockefeller. This monumental challenge that Tarbell faced and
overcame showed anyone and everyone that, first of all, anyone can make an impact. And