Ida Tarbell: A Historical Muckraker

During the Progressive Era, the term Muckraker came to light with their goal focused on exposing the problems in American society caused by businesses or within the government. Muckrakers developed their name from President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 when this form of investigative journalism gained popularity from the American public. 

As one of the most famous muckrakers of her time, Ida Tarbell is well known for her work in investigative journalism. Tarbell focused primarily on exposing the corruption of people with power and money. Whether it was a large monopoly or government wrongdoing, Ida Tarbell paved the way for the type of investigative journalism and true crime reporting we know today. 

The "Cleveland Massacre"

During Tarbell's pursuit of a teaching career, she met the editor of the Chautauquan magazine, where she spent 6 years writing. One of her biggest accomplishments at this time in 1872 was her investigative reporting on the Standard Oil Company in Cleveland, Ohio. For 6 weeks, Tarbell poured her time into exposing the Standard Oil Company for the monopoly it had become from acquiring twenty-two of the twenty-six oil companies nearby, and her primary target was John D. Rockefeller; the instigator of the Standard Oil Company establishment.

In her discovery, she reported how Cleveland had been overcrowded with oil refineries which had caused a severe reduction of prices. She was especially attached to this case because her father had worked in one of the small refineries that was bought out by the Standard Oil Company, which caused many financial struggles for her family. Because of this personal vendetta, Tarbell's success shines through her work. The attention Tarbell brought to the monopoly aroused the nation's interest as the company was called into question by the United States Supreme Court in the case United States v. Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey (1909). 

Ida Tarbell's career

Her journalistic endeavors at the Chautauquan later inspired her move to Paris in the 1890s. While in Paris, Tarbell honed in on her muckraking abilities. She focused her writing heavily on women's rights issues, especially throughout the French Revolution.