Which government department ultimately received the Teapot Dome reserve after transfer?

• A. Navy Department
• B. Department of the Interior
• C. Treasury Department
• D. Department of Commerce

Answer: (B)

The Teapot Dome oil reserve was moved from military control to civilian stewardship in 1921, when the government transferred the reserve from the Navy to the Department of the Interior. The Interior Department oversees public lands and their natural resources, so placing the reserve there centralized management of federal oil on public lands rather than under military control. That’s why the department that ultimately received the Teapot Dome reserve is the Department of the Interior. (The later scandal involved Interior officials leasing the rights to private oil companies, which brought intense scrutiny and reform to federal resource management.)