Ida M. Tarbell

Muckrakers played an important role in reforming and creating massive change during the nineteenth century. Extreme tabloid journalism was the norm during the nineteenth century. Facts seemed lost and reporters wrote sensational articles in order to sell newspapers. One reporter however broke the norms, Ida. M. Tarbell. She was not only female in a male dominated field; her honesty and integrity were recognized, The United States had a boom in capitalism and businesses thrived in the late 19th century, however, corruption was rampant. Ida M. Tarbell not only broke gender roles she exposed the corruption of Standard Oil; the result was new government regulations.

Where did this remarkable woman come from? Where did Ida’s passion to expose Standard Oil come from? She was born in Hatch Hollow Pennsylvania in a humble log cabin. The oil industry had a strong presence there and eventually her father entered the storage and oil refinery business. Life was good for the Tarbell’s In Ida’s words, “There was such ease as we had never known; luxuries, we had never heard of….Then suddenly, (our) gay prosperous town received a blow between the eyes” ("American Experience: TV 's most-watched history series"). As a consequence of

Ms. Tarbell series on Standard Oil published in, “1904” would cause the government to act.

“Tarbell meticulously documented the aggressive techniques Standard Oil employed to outmaneuver and, where necessary, roll over whoever got in its way. A short while later, President Theodore Roosevelt used the phrase “muckraker” (from John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress) in a speech in reference to Tarbell….” (Connecticut History.org).

Ms. Tarbell earned praise of President Theodore Roosevelt for exposing Standard Oil’s corrupt practices. However, according to the Connecticut Historical Society Ms. Tarbell actually hated the term “mudracker” she considered the term crude and saw herself more as an historian. The impact she had on Standard Oil was