And the Union Pacific Railroad Company also had a significant influence on the oil companies.
Before the Rockefeller family built the oil pipelines, rail transport was the only means of oil transportation in the United States. As such, a very prominent figure emerged in America, Vanderbilt.
At the time, Vanderbilt almost monopolized the railroad industry in the United States.
Rockefeller's Standard Oil was able to rise, in fact, with the help of Vanderbilt. However, later, due to a series of maneuvers by Rockefeller, he tried to get Vanderbilt to compete with his only rival, so that he could secure even lower transportation prices.
But Vanderbilt preferred to have a competitor rather than let Rockefeller's underhanded tactics go unpunished.
So Vanderbilt joined forces with his peers, renegotiated contracts, and canceled all discounts to Rockefeller, causing all railroads across America to unite in raising their transportation fees.
