The Birth of the American Oil Industry Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What was the total fee Benjamin Silliman, Jr. was promised for the outside research project?

  • $710.20
  • $632.50
  • $526.08 (correct)
  • $450.75
  • In what year was Benjamin Silliman, Jr. retained for the outside research project?

  • 1839
  • 1854 (correct)
  • 1862
  • 1848
  • Who was the New York lawyer involved in the venture related to 'rock oil'?

  • George Bissell (correct)
  • Benjamin Silliman, Sr.
  • James Townsend
  • John Rockefeller
  • Where did rock oil bubble up or seep into salt wells, according to the text?

    <p>Area around Oil Creek, in the isolated wooded hills of northwestern Pennsylvania</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who sought to keep a low profile due to involvement in the speculative venture?

    <p>James Townsend</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What substance was known as 'rock oil' in the text?

    <p>Petroleum</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the critical issue for the investors in establishing the petroleum business?

    <p>Proving the sufficient and obtainable supply of rock oil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who became obsessed with the potential of asphalt and collaborated with a Canadian in the oil industry?

    <p>British Admiral Thomas Cochrane</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Silliman's report reveal about rock oil?

    <p>It could be distilled into high-quality illuminating oil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What led to the growing demand for cheaper lighting fluids in the petroleum business?

    <p>The depletion of whale schools</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What drove entrepreneurial innovation in the late 1840s and early 1850s in the oil industry?

    <p>The need for reliable, relatively cheap illuminant and lubrication</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the main drawback of cheaper lighting fluids such as camphene and 'town gas'?

    <p>Flammability and high cost</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who was responsible for the creation of the oil industry?

    <p>George Bissell</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the initial use of rock oil before it was promoted as an illuminant?

    <p>Medicine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role did Yale's Professor Silliman play in the development of the oil industry?

    <p>Analyzed the properties of rock oil as an illuminant and lubricant</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What motivated George Bissell to promote rock oil as an illuminant?

    <p>To alleviate his financial woes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the involvement of Professor Silliman bring to the project?

    <p>Credibility and potential for stock selling and capital raising</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did George Bissell see in rock oil while passing through western Pennsylvania?

    <p>Its potential as an illuminant</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who established a kerosene works in New York City in 1854?

    <p>Abraham Gesner</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the estimated annual worth of kerosene production in the United States by 1859?

    <p>$5 million</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which substance was used in the Middle East for various purposes, including as a traded commodity, building mortar, and medicinal uses?

    <p>Bitumen</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the mixture of petroleum and lime used in warfare by the Byzantines?

    <p>Greek fire</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How was refining technology for petroleum transmitted to Europe?

    <p>Via the Arabs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where had a small oil industry developed in Eastern Europe by 1859?

    <p>Galicia and Rumania</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the essential insight of the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company?

    <p>Adapting the salt-boring technique directly to oil drilling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the main hindrance to the spread of kerosene in Eastern Europe in the 1850s?

    <p>Lack of drilling technology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What inspired George Bissell to apply drilling techniques to oil recovery?

    <p>An advertisement for rock oil medicine</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What marked the birth of the American oil industry according to the text?

    <p>Edwin L. Drake's arrival in Titusville, Pennsylvania</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the aim of the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company?

    <p>Discovering a new source for raw material for illuminating oils at a cheaper price</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the potential alternative to digging for oil mentioned in the text?

    <p>Chinese salt &quot;boring&quot; technique</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    The Birth of the American Oil Industry

    • In the 1850s, the Eastern European industry lacked the technology for drilling, hindering the spread of kerosene.
    • The introduction of kerosene in the United States faced barriers due to the lack of a substantial supply and suitable lamps.
    • A kerosene lamp with a glass chimney from Vienna, designed in Lvov, overcame the issues of smoke and smell, finding a market in the United States.
    • The Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company aimed to discover a new source for raw material for illuminating oils at a cheaper price.
    • The Chinese salt "boring" technique, imported to Europe and the United States, was a potential alternative to digging for oil.
    • George Bissell, inspired by an advertisement for rock oil medicine, saw the potential to apply drilling techniques to oil recovery.
    • The Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company's essential insight was to adapt the salt-boring technique directly to oil, aiming to drill for oil.
    • The company's idea of drilling for oil was initially not taken seriously, but they were convinced of the need and opportunity.
    • Edwin L. Drake, chosen by coincidence, brought no outstanding qualifications to the task but was recruited due to his availability and tenacity.
    • Drake's arrival in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1857, marked the birth of the American oil industry, where he was welcomed as "Colonel" Drake.
    • Titusville, a small, impoverished village in northwestern Pennsylvania, became the starting point for the American oil industry.
    • "Colonel" Drake's journey to Titusville was exhausting, and he was met with a warm and hospitable welcome, marking the beginning of the American oil industry.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge of the birth of the American oil industry with this quiz. Explore the key events and individuals that led to the establishment of the oil industry in the United States, from the introduction of kerosene to the pioneering drilling techniques of "Colonel" Drake.

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