American investigative journalist whose History of the Standard Oil Company was the foundational work of American muckraking journalism — leading to the Supreme Court's breakup of Standard Oil.
The History of the Standard Oil Company (serialized 1902-04): a meticulous, document-based investigation of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil trust — its monopolistic practices, railroad rebates, and market manipulation. Led to the Supreme Court's 1911 antitrust dissolution. Defined investigative journalism as a genre.
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