Who authored the muckraking work that scrutinized Standard Oil and helped underpin antitrust action?

Who authored the muckraking work that scrutinized Standard Oil and helped underpin antitrust action?

• A. Ida Tarbell
• B. Jacob Riis
• C. Lincoln Steffens
• D. Upton Sinclair

Answer: (A)

This question centers on muckraking journalism that exposed monopolies and spurred antitrust action. Ida Tarbell wrote History of the Standard Oil Company, a detailed investigation of Rockefeller’s trust published in McClure's Magazine in the early 1900s. Tarbell's careful documentation of ruthless tactics—rebates, underhanded deals, and monopolistic practices—helped shift public opinion and provided compelling evidence for government action. Her work laid important groundwork for antitrust prosecutions that eventually led to the 1911 Supreme Court decision to dissolve Standard Oil under the Sherman Act. The other authors highlighted different reform topics—urban poverty, political corruption, and the meatpacking industry—so Tarbell is the one linked specifically to scrutinizing Standard Oil and fueling antitrust efforts.

This question centers on muckraking journalism that exposed monopolies and spurred antitrust action. Ida Tarbell wrote History of the Standard Oil Company, a detailed investigation of Rockefeller’s trust published in McClure's Magazine in the early 1900s. Tarbell's careful documentation of ruthless tactics—rebates, underhanded deals, and monopolistic practices—helped shift public opinion and provided compelling evidence for government action. Her work laid important groundwork for antitrust prosecutions that eventually led to the 1911 Supreme Court decision to dissolve Standard Oil under the Sherman Act. The other authors highlighted different reform topics—urban poverty, political corruption, and the meatpacking industry—so Tarbell is the one linked specifically to scrutinizing Standard Oil and fueling antitrust efforts.