Which muckraker wrote History of the Standard Oil?

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

Answer: (A)

Muckraking journalism exposed powerful monopolies and abuse of power during the Progressive Era, and History of the Standard Oil is a landmark example of that work. Ida Tarbell assembled documents, interviews, and company records to reveal how John D. Rockefeller built and maintained a ruthless oil monopoly, detailing rebates, under-the-table deals, and tactics that squeezed rivals. Her thorough, narrative expose helped shape public opinion in favor of antitrust action and contributed to Standard Oil’s eventual breakup under the Sherman Antitrust Act. The other writers know for different reform-focused topics: Upton Sinclair exposed the meatpacking industry and workers’ conditions; Lincoln Steffens highlighted urban political corruption; Jacob Riis documented poverty and tenement life.