THE GENTLEWOMAN AND THE ROBBER BARON

1.   What were the two most popular magazines in America 1902?

McClure’s and Munsey’s Magazines

2.   Who was Mark Twain? How did he become involved in Ida Tarbell’s investigation of Standard Oil?

Twain was a very famous writer and an icon, you may know him from his book “ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. He became involved because he was asked to discover what Tarbell was going to write about. He figured out it was about standard oil

       3.   Why did Ida Tarbell pray not to get married?

All she wanted was just freedom. She couldn't bear to live with a man who put limitations on her 

4.   Who were the suffragettes? How did they influence Ida?

An organization of woman who wanted the right of vote. With them she was introduced to a possible new way of seeing woman, the way of equality between man & woman

5.   What was the most important thing in John Rockefeller’s life?

First his family and then the company, he wanted to have everything!

6.   What is a rebate?

What you pay comes back to you, a refund 

7.   How did the railways give preferential treatment to Standard Oil?

       8. What is the difference between crude and refined oil?

        Crude oil is a mixture of natural products, it also has a lower price, while refined oil is way more processed and has very useful derivations. 

                      9.  Did standard Oil practice horizontal integration, vertical integration, or both?

        In my opinion Standard oil practiced both. Vertical because he didn’t just had as his  

        property the refinery, but had many others and Horizontal simply because he did what he said about buying ALL refineries

10. Ida Tarbell summarized Rockefeller’s goal: “Controlling all refineries, I shall be the only shipper of oil. Being the only shipper, I can obtain special rates of transportation which will drive out and keep out competitors; controlling all refineries, I shall be the only buyer, and can regulate the price of crude [oil] as I can the price of refined.” If Rockefeller controlled the entire market for oil, what would he have?

Obviously, a complete monopoly!!

11. What did Ida Tarbell have to say about “The Legitimate Greatness of Standard Oil”

Ida approved it and recognized it 

12. What percentages of the nation’s oil business did Rockefeller control by 1879?

90%

13. What are muckrakers?

Were American journalists who often investigate and wrote about social issues. They 

were also often accused of communism

14. What law did the U.S. Government use to sue Standard Oil?

Sherman Antitrust Act

15. What did the U.S. Supreme Court eventually decide in that lawsuit?

They decided to force the company to break up

16. What did Rockefeller’s son John Rockefeller, Jr. do with his money?

He gave to charity all the money his father had

17.    What happened when John Rockefeller, Jr. and Ida Tarbell met at the conference?

 Both acted casually and naturally, like if nothing happened

"Imagination is the only key to the future. Without it none exists, with it all things are." - Ida Tarbell