The document summarizes Episode 1 of The Prize, a PBS documentary about the oil industry. It describes how John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil of Ohio came to dominate the oil industry in the late 19th century through aggressive business strategies like predatory pricing, rebates, and vertical integration. It also discusses how technological advances in kerosene lamps and the growth of the automobile market increased demand for oil, aiding Rockefeller's rise to power. Public concerns about Rockefeller's monopoly practices led to investigations by muckrakers and calls for greater government regulation of big business.