ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2474-3872

Date of Award

Winter 2026

Embargo Period

1-16-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of History

Program

History

First Advisor

Kendra Smith-Howard

Committee Members

Kendra Smith-Howard, Michitake Aso, David Hochfelder, Ryan Irwin, Bart Elmore

Keywords

Standard Oil, kerosene, energy, environment, business, ant-monopoly

Subject Categories

United States History

Abstract

This dissertation revisits the rise and fall of Standard Oil between 1859 and 1911 through the lens of petroleum’s materiality and the fire hazards it posed. Moving beyond traditional narratives that focus on the company’s corporate strategy, this study argues that the volatility of petroleum and the global consumer experience of its environmental risks were central to shaping the company’s trajectory. The research highlights how Standard Oil struggled to control the flammable nature of kerosene—the primary petroleum product used for illumination at the time—before aligning with Great Britain’s advanced inspection technologies and regulatory frameworks. This transimperial cooperation enabled Standard Oil to improve the safety of its exports, which accounted for around seventy percent of its output. However, the company’s global customers continued to leverage safety concerns regarding “Deadly American Oil” to establish trade barriers, which compelled Standard Oil to accept lower margins in overseas markets.

In contrast, Standard Oil operated under a different paradigm within the United States, exploiting a fragmented risk culture. Lacking effective safety standards and reliable inspection methods in the domestic market, the company shifted the burden of its international compliance onto American consumers, selling substandard kerosene at premium prices under misleading labels such as “double-refined.” As Standard Oil derived the bulk of its profits from Americans, this disparity between the company’s domestic exploitation and its international obedience became a critical factor in anti-monopoly politics, culminating in the company’s court-ordered dissolution in 1911. Ultimately, the study shows that environmental and transnational approaches are central to understanding the emergence of American corporations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

Download

Share

COinS