>> Get my new course: The  2024! Visit:  and get the course! << Petroleum, also known as oil, is a thick, black liquid found deep underground, used to make gasoline, plastic, and cosmetics. In 1859, Edwin L. Drake drilled the first successful oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, marking the start of intentional oil extraction. As whale oil became scarce, people turned to oil for kerosene.  Early oil workers, or drillers, faced tough conditions, leading to the rise of boomtowns. For more episodes, and the full text, visit