After the release of The Jungle, thousands of people purchased the book causing an uproar, to the point Theodore Roosevelt, the current president at that time, consulted with the Agriculture Department to find that the claims were true, which led to the Meat Inspection Act. Disappointed that only a few federal laws referring to the meatpacking industry and not to support socialism, Sinclair deplored, “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.” Even though the book failed to convert citizens to socialism, the Progressive Movement nevertheless contributed to laws that Sinclair strived for, for an example, reform laws were passed in six major areas: labor rights, consumer protection, political reform, environmental
