Teapot Domes

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate April 2001

download word file, 3 pages 5.0

The Teapot Dome is one of the greatest scandals in American history. Without a doubt, this scandal was the biggest ever before its time. Lots of people become rich and famous, and infamous. This paper will cover the major parts of this scandal and will expose the ideas behind it.

As many know, President Theodore Roosevelt was a huge conservationist. He believed that the United States of America should protect its resources for many to come future generations. Roosevelt established national parks and land. He took control of public land, and claimed it a national property. He also established national supplies such as petroleum. He was not the only person who believed in conservation. Lots of people supported him. Oil reserves became more and more popular, as larger ships made the transfer from coal power to oil power. The time is around 1919, and war is looking very likely. Americans are worried of Japan, so the place large oil reserves in around California.

This oil was usually kept in natural dome shaped reservoirs. Nothing in particular held the oil there.

This time era was a time of Republican denomination in office. President Harding was elected president. The House of Representatives were composed overwhelmingly of Republicans. The Senate also had a Republican majority.

Republican president Harding appointed Senator Albert B. Fall of New Mexico to the Secretary of the Interior. Edwin Denby was appointed new Secretary of the Navy (Bates 219). These two newly appointed men shook hands when a deal was made to release control of these Wyoming oil reserves from the Navy to the Department of The Interior. Those exact terms of these negotiations are unknown at this time.

Now Senator Albert B. Fall was not the nicest person around. During his political career, he had been swindling land...