Teapot Dome Scandal

      Warren G. Harding, the twenty-ninth president of the United States, is commonly referenced when discussing the causes leading up to the Great Depression. Except instead of his positive influence on the US, he is commonly attributed with the scandals that he partook in during his time in office; most notably, the Teapot Dome Scandal. This scandal of the 1920s demonstrated the immense corruption that plagued the government, and was an act of bribery and greed.

      The unique name of the scandal was derived from an oil reserve in Wyoming that resembled a teapot, hence the name: Teapot Dome. The oil reserve along with other reserves in California were set aside by the U.S. Navy to ensure that there was always enough oil to power ships under an emergency. However, when President Harding came into office, he allowed his Senator, Albert Fall, to transfer supervision from the Navy to an oil company and a petroleum company. The owners of the respective companies bribed Albert Fall to authorize the drilling of these naval reserves, which ended up containing oil valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Suspicion arose when trucks were seen at the site, and investigation began on the dealings.

      Fall was eventually tried for accepting bribes from the oil and petroleum companies, and was sentenced to federal prison, being the first American Cabinet officer to be incarcerated during service. Congress had President Harding cancel the leases and determined them fraudulent, but Harding suffered a stroke and died before his punishment was determined. The leases were then brought to federal court, and although Wyoming ruled in favor of the state, the U.S. Supreme Court vetoed their decision, canceling the leases to Teapot Dome.

      The Teapot Dome stayed under federal control, and was eventually put into use during the Energy Crisis in 1970s. Centuries after, in January 2015, the Teapot Dome was finally sold again, but this time legally to the Stranded Oil Resources Corporation.

      However, as a result of this Teapot Dome scandal, the phrase "Teapot Dome" became a sort of propaganda or political vocabulary synonymous with the governmental corruption under the administration of President Harding. It has also been attributed with the power and control the oil companies had in American politics, ultimately causing some form of corruption among the government.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/event/Teapot-Dome-Scandal

http://www.history.com/topics/teapot-dome-scandal

https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/teapot-dome-scandal