Wednesday, April 8, 2026

In 1859, America Discovered the Fuel That Replaced Freedom

Camphene, industrial alcohol, Drake’s 1859 oil well, Standard Oil, Henry Ford’s fuel of the future, and National City Lines all collide in this documentary about how petroleum did not simply “win” in a neutral market. It was helped, protected, and embedded through taxes, monopoly, policy, and infrastructure decisions that narrowed the alternatives Americans were allowed to keep.