Oil and the American Century

Bibliographic Data

ID5705451
AuthorsDavid S Painter (Georgetown University, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume99
Issue1
Pages24-39
Publication date2012-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of American History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-8723 • E-ISSN: 1945-2314
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/jahist/jas073
OpenAlexW2109854385
LanguageEN
Citations received38
References cited2

Understanding how oil fueled the "American century" is fundamental to understanding the sources, dynamics, and consequences of U.S. global dominance.Essential to both military power and the functioning of modern society, oil fueled American power and prosperity during the twentieth century.The United States was the world's leading oil producer for the first three-quarters of the century, and five of the seven great oil corporations that dominated the international oil industry from the 1920s to the 1970s were American companies.Control of oil bolstered U.S. military and economic might and enabled the United States and its allies to win both world wars and the Cold War. 1 The U.S. government worked closely with the oil industry to gain and maintain control of overseas oil reserves, reflecting a symbiosis of national security interests and the interests of the oil companies.Maintaining access to oil became a key priority of U.S. foreign policy and involved the United States in regional and local conflicts in Latin America, the Middle East, and other oil-producing areas in ways that distorted development in many countries.Most of the major doctrines of postwar U.S. foreign policy-the Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Carter Doctrines-related, either directly or indirectly, to the Middle East and its oil. 2 The availability of inexpensive oil encouraged the United States to adopt patterns of socioeconomic organization premised on high levels of oil use.Understandable when oil was inexpensive and access secure, this way of life has become less sustainable as economic, strategic, and environmental conditions have changed. Oil and the Balance of PowerShortly before World War I the United States began converting its coal-burning battle fleet to one that used oil for fuel.Oil provided numerous advantages over coal, including

American Environmental and Regional History · History

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