Course traces the history of the political, economic, and social history of oil in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It details the impact of oil on the rise and fall of empires and nations, the social ramifications of the oil industry on local cultures and societies, the role of petrostates in modern geopolitics, and the contribution of the oil industry to the economic and environmental crises.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will be required to complete additional in-depth weekly readings, which will be detailed on the graduate syllabus. They will also be required to complete both a bibliographical essay and a research essay.
Athena Title
History of Oil
Undergraduate Pre or Corequisite
Any course in HIST or POLS or INTL or SOCI or ECOL or GEOG or ENGL or BUSN or CHEM or ENGR
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about the history of oil gathering and weighing evidence, logical argument, and listening to counter argument.
By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays. Students will be able to analyze ideas and evidence, organize their thoughts, and revise and edit their finished essays.
By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how the history of oil shaped diverse social and cultural attitudes toward labor and environment, energy and consumption, and empire and power, encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences.
By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources and to organize their evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities.
By the end of this course, students will be able to generate their own research question or topic, locate suitable primary and secondary sources, and synthesize their ideas in novel ways.
By the end of this course, students will be able to initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate their independent research projects in stages and to give and receive constructive feedback through the peer review process.
Topical Outline
1. Fossil Capital: Steam, Coal, and the Petroleum Industry
2. The Breakup of Big Oil: The Standard Oil Monopoly and the Texas Oil Boom
3. The Oil Wars: Carbon Conflict in the Dutch East Indies, Russia, and Iran
4. Petronationalism: The Seven Sisters in Latin America and the Middle East
5. A World Safe for Oil: Conspiracies and Military Coups in Venezuela and Iran
6. America’s Kingdom: Oil, Labor Conflict, and Communism in Saudi Arabia
7. Pyramids in the Sand: Petrodollars, Weapon Sales, and Economic Development
8. The Red Sheikh: Nationalism, Third Worldism, and the Rise of OPEC
9. The Energy Crisis: Peak Oil, Producer Markets, and Environmental Catastrophism
10. The Oil Shock: Yom Kippur War, Oil Boycott, and Iranian Revolution
11. Hydrocarbon Horizons: Supply Shocks and New Frontiers in Shale Production
12. The Long Gulf War: Production Quotas and War in the Persian/Arab Gulf
13. Blood and Oil: Resources, Markets, and Wars in Iraq and Ukraine
14. Renewable Revolutions: Climate Change, Green Energy, and Fracking Debates
15. Blessings and Curses: Wealth, Corruption, and Dictatorship in Contemporary Petrostates
16. The End of Growth: Economic Necessities vs. Environmental Limitations
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
