Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

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“The Jungle”, written by Upton Sinclair, was one of the most well known books to emerge during the Progressive Era. The publication of this piece is known to have influenced the passing of two federal laws concerning food health and safety, the Federal Food and Drugs Act of 1906, and the Federal Meat Inspection Act. During the time of its' publication, it had evoked an immediate and powerful effect on Americans and federal policy. It had paved the way for federal laws regarding food health and safety that we now follow in today's day and age.

During the Industrial Revolution, many factories were guilty of leading harsh working conditions and unsanitary food processing. These unsavory and immoral conditions were exposed by Sinclair's book,

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