The backlash from the Press
When the press revealed Standard Oil’s manipulation of shipping costs for oil, they vilified Rockefeller. He was criticized in both cartoons and text, even though his actions were what made kerosene more affordable than ever before. Oil lamps lighted homes, factories, offices, streets, and stores at a much lower cost than before the Civil War when most houses used candles for light.
John D. Rockefeller Sr. and Jr. circa 1910. Photo by Everett Collection / Shutterstock
So, even though the media vilified Rockefeller, most of the public did not. He continued to develop Standard Oil even after he was torn apart by the national newspapers and had eyes on him from government entities, which were already suspicious of his fortune and power.