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Bedtime History: Inspirational Stories for Kids and Families

John D. Rockefeller and the Oil Age

Bedtime History: Inspirational Stories for Kids and Families

Bedtime History

Education For Kids, Education, Kids & Family, Stories For Kids

4.63.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest people in American history. He built his fortune in the oil business during the late 1800s by creating the Standard Oil Company. Rockefeller was very organized and believed in efficiency, which helped his company grow quickly. Later in life, he gave away large amounts of money to support education, science, and medicine. His donations helped create universities and medical research centers that still exist today. 👉 Upgrade your bedding with Quince for free shipping and 365-day returns: ⁠www.quince.com/bedtimehistory⁠ 📖 We published our first book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explorer Society: World's Fair Conspiracy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎉 Check out our new show, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bedtime Safari⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! 📢 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate via Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a shout-out! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📺⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠500+ YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Videos⁠

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to Bedtime History. Hello, this is Breck.

0:11.6

If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe to be notified about new episodes,

0:16.0

and to get our entire catalog of episodes ad-free, you can subscribe via Apple Podcasts. Also, be sure to check out

0:23.0

our 400-plus educational videos on our YouTube channel. We also have a new show called

0:28.6

Bedtime Safari, so look for the link in the show notes of our most recent episodes.

0:37.0

John D. Rockefeller is remembered as one of the most important businessmen in American history.

0:43.1

His story began with very little, but through determination, hard work, and careful planning,

0:48.9

he built the largest oil company in the world.

0:52.3

Later in life, he became known not just for his wealth, but for giving much

0:56.8

of it a way to help others. His life shows how someone can shape a country through both business

1:03.1

and generosity. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839, in a small town in New York. His family did not have much money. His father

1:14.4

traveled a lot for work and was often away from home, so young John helped his mother care

1:19.3

for the family. His mother taught him to be honest, to save every penny he could, and to always

1:24.8

keep track of money. These lessons stayed with him his whole life.

1:30.3

When John was a teenager, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio.

1:34.4

There Rockefeller got his first real job as an assistant bookkeeper when he was just 16 years

1:39.9

old.

1:41.2

He was very good with numbers and worked hard to do everything perfectly. He kept

1:45.8

careful records, checked every detail, and learned quickly. His bosses noticed his talent and trusted

1:52.3

him with bigger tasks. Even at a young age, Rockefeller knew he wanted to be successful,

1:58.2

and he saved most of the money he earned to prepare for future opportunities.

2:03.6

Around this time, something big was happening in America. The oil industry was growing.

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