A Twist of History
Episode: "Buying the Presidency"
Host: Ballen Studios (Hosted by Joel Blackwell)
Date: September 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this riveting episode, "Buying the Presidency," A Twist of History dives into the late 19th and early 20th century, focusing on the origins and battles of American corporate monopolies—especially Standard Oil—and the climactic showdown between the era’s most powerful tycoons and the reformers who fought to bring them down. Through dramatized scenes and rich historical context, the episode tells how figures like John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and Andrew Carnegie shaped the country, how their immense wealth allowed them to influence presidential politics, and how crusaders like Theodore Roosevelt and journalist Ida Tarbell worked to break their hold on America.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Monopoly Origins and Economic Inequality (00:32–07:30)

• Monopoly and the Landlord’s Game:
  The episode opens with the origin of Monopoly, which began as "The Landlord’s Game" by Elizabeth Magee (1904), intended as a warning against the dangers of unchecked wealth and corporate greed.
• Rise of Standard Oil:
  The story shifts to Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1872, where young Ida Tarbell witnesses her father and fellow small oil refinery owners panicking over the creation of the South Improvement Company (SIC), a secret alliance between railroads and Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. Rockefeller leverages SIC to negotiate rebates and strangle rivals.
• The Cleveland Massacre:
  Through business machination, including rebates and targeted price hikes, Rockefeller absorbs, rather than crushes, competition, offering shares in Standard Oil for buyouts, culminating in the consolidation of the industry.

"The South Improvement Company wasn't so much a corporation as it was a conspiracy." — Emergency meeting speaker (04:00)

2. Impact on Small Businesses and Public Outrage (05:30–09:55)

• Local Resistance and Its Collapse:
  Franklin Tarbell and other small refiners attempt to resist but are incrementally bought out or outmaneuvered, consolidating Rockefeller’s power.
• Moral and Family Impact:
  The Tarbells are left diminished but principled, their ordeal igniting Ida Tarbell’s lifelong crusade against monopolies.

"They've handed Rockefeller the entire oil industry... Standard Oil stock prices soar; nobody will ever be able to compete with Rockefeller again." — Narrator (07:15)

3. The Political Machine: Boss Platt, McKinley, and the Role of Big Money (10:29–24:00)

• Monied Interests in Politics:
  As trust-busting emerges as a political issue, tycoons JP Morgan, Carnegie, and Rockefeller donate today’s equivalent of hundreds of millions to back pro-business President William McKinley, drowning out progressive challenger William Jennings Bryan.
• Democracy for Sale:
  Political machines like Thomas “Boss” Platt’s in New York ensure that only candidates aligned with corporate interests prosper.

"For the small price of $20,000 each, three men had bought the presidency." — Narrator (18:55)

4. Theodore Roosevelt Rises: Reluctant Vice President, Relentless Reformer (24:01–38:00)

• Teddy’s Accidental Presidency:
  Roosevelt is sidelined as Vice President to keep him quiet but ascends to the presidency after McKinley's assassination.
• Early Battle with Corruption:
  As governor, Roosevelt challenges party boss Platt over corruption and the appointment of regulatory officials, knowing he risks being ‘promoted’ out of state politics.
• Monopoly Crisis Peaks:
  After Morgan forms U.S. Steel—the world’s largest corporation—the public grows increasingly resentful of elite wealth and the government’s complicity.

"He’d rather retire from politics and become a history teacher than wind up on McKinley’s ticket." — On Roosevelt's reluctance to be VP (31:30)

"Teddy Roosevelt is in full support of workers. He's ready to end these massive corporate trusts. But that's going to take every ounce of fight he has in him." — Narrator (17:05)

5. Ida Tarbell and Investigative Journalism: The Exposé that Changed History (38:01–42:45)

• Tarbell’s Crusade:
  Inspired by her family's experience, Ida Tarbell becomes a pioneering investigative journalist, gathering damning evidence against Standard Oil and Rockefeller.
• How the Truth Emerged:
  With access to secret documents and now-lost books detailing earlier abuses, Tarbell publishes a series of articles and a landmark book, “The History of Standard Oil,” which stirs massive public outrage.

"If anything, she feels encouraged. Ever since Teddy Roosevelt assumed the role of President, he's been invoking the Sherman Antitrust Act to go after massive corporations." (39:10)

"She promises him that soon the whole nation will know exactly what kind of man Rockefeller is." (41:05)

6. The Supreme Court Strikes: Breaking Standard Oil (42:46–49:15)

• A Cat and Mouse Game:
  Roosevelt’s administration sues Standard Oil; Rockefeller evades authorities in a desperate effort to dodge subpoenas—famously giving himself away with his shipped exotic cheeses.
• Historic Trial and Verdict:
  The Supreme Court rules in 1911 that Rockefeller’s business practices violate antitrust law; Standard Oil is broken into 34 companies (e.g., ExxonMobil, Chevron).

"There were 12,000 pages of testimony given by 444 witnesses. And in the end, the court determined that Rockefeller's unreasonable business practices were in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890." — Narrator (48:40)

"Rockefeller thought he could protect his empire by buying the presidency and castrating any rivals who tried to bring him to heel... When a destitute anarchist took fate into his own hands, Theodore Roosevelt was given an opportunity to bring Rockefeller down." — Narrator (49:01)

7. The Irony of Triumph: Rockefeller Wins, After All (49:16–End)

• An Unintended Consequence:
  Despite the breakup, Rockefeller becomes even richer through his shares in the newly independent companies, and gasoline's rise for automobiles launches his fortune to record highs.
• A Complicated Legacy:
  Later in life, Rockefeller donates some of his massive fortune to public health, churches, and education, building institutions that last for decades—even as the tide turns, temporarily, against monopoly.

"He seemed to understand that charity could build a far better legacy than greed." (50:55)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• The Game as Warning:
  "Elizabeth Magee understood that we were heading into an age of gross wealth disparity... The Landlord's Game was meant to warn against the dangers of corporate land ownership and capitalist greed." — Narrator (00:45)
• Oilers' Realization:
  "The South Improvement Company wasn't so much a corporation as it was a conspiracy." — Emergency meeting speaker (04:00)
• Tarbell’s Betrayal:
  "She's disgusted on behalf of her dad, who thought he was fighting alongside brothers in arms." — Narrator on Ida Tarbell (07:40)
• Monied Influence:
  "For the small price of $20,000 each, three men had bought the presidency." — Narrator (18:55)
• Roosevelt’s Stand-Off:
  "He’d rather retire from politics and become a history teacher than wind up on McKinley’s ticket." — Narrator, articulating Roosevelt's stubborn independence (31:30)
• Rockefeller’s Weakness:
  "He has rare cheeses shipped wherever he goes. Eventually, the Feds realize he's back home on his estate when boxes of cheese start arriving at the local train station." — Narrator (46:20)
• Collapse and Legacy:
  "He seemed to understand that charity could build a far better legacy than greed." — Narrator on Rockefeller’s twilight years (50:55)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Content | |------------|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:32–07:30| Rise of Monopoly, Opening Story | The Landlord’s Game, Ida Tarbell’s family | | 10:29–18:55| Politics & Corporate Influence | McKinley, Morgan, Carnegie, Rockefeller | | 24:01–38:00| Roosevelt’s Governorship & Vice Presidency | Platt, corruption, Roosevelt maneuvering | | 38:01–42:45| Ida Tarbell’s Investigation | Journalism crusades, gathering evidence | | 42:46–49:15| The Trust-Busting Climax | Court case, Supreme Court dissolves Standard Oil | | 49:16–End | Aftermath & Rockefeller’s Philanthropy | Legacy, irony, and long-term consequences |

Episode Tone and Style

Narrated with dramatic flair, scene-driven storytelling, and a blend of dialogue and exposition, the episode maintains an engaging, accessible historical tone while presenting complex economic and political maneuverings in an easy-to-follow narrative.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode is an essential listen for anyone curious about how money, power, and politics have long shaped American history. Through vivid narrative, A Twist of History demonstrates how monopolies were built, challenged, and in some ways survived—even thrived—under the very reforms meant to curb them, all while spotlighting the individuals who dared to resist the era’s titans.

All timestamps are in MM:SS format. Ads, intros, outros, and sponsor content have been excluded.