Question

Was Rockefeller's monopolization of oil largely due to the creation of the internal combustion engine? Why or why not?

Answer 1

If this is an opinion question I would write; No, Rockefeller was an intelligent man, who knew how to use the times right, and an extraordinary buisness man. It was completely due to his being an amazing man that he was able to monopolize.

Answer 2

Not quite, I think. Rockefeller rose to a dominant position in the oil-refining business in the 1870s and 1880s, which is about 20-30 years earlier than the broad replacement of horses with automobiles. (Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903, and the famous Model T was introduced in 1908.) A more likely antecedent, I think, is the depletion of whales in the late 19th century, which led to steep increases in the price of whale oil and the substitution of kerosene in lamps. Rockefeller's refineries produced kerosene.