Upton Sinclair

Theodore Roosevelt proposed a federal law on misbranded and contaminated foods, drinks and drugs. The proposal was strongly opposed by the business sector since they were earning a good profit from the patent medicine industry. It was only after Upton Sinclair published a book that uncovered the unsanitary conditions of a meat packaging industry in Chicago that the public was swayed in the president’s direction. The book showed how human body parts and diseased cattle were incorporated in…

The Industrial Revolution had greatly changed the dynamic of American lives, creating the rise of big business and masses of new workers and people. From this, emerged new issues that sought resolution in the coming age. During the Progressive Era from 1900-1920, Progressive reformers and the federal government fostered moderate reforms in corporate regulation, labor reform, and extending suffrage. However, the persisting continuity of limited legislation and hands-off government did not…

Theodore Roosevelt's presidency may have changed the United States forever. Although he was not the American people’s first choice to be president, Roosevelt certainly did grow on the American people. Roosevelt had many accomplishments in his presidency, both domestic and foreign. Because Roosevelt was a different type of president, it proves that his policies changed the landscape of the US politically, economically, and socially. Theodore Roosevelt changed America socially by helping the…

Our Food is Killing Us We do everything possible to avoid death, yet our health can be compromised with every meal. The processed food we eat contains harmful additives that are considered poisonous, and the government is not properly informing people of what they are consuming. Fast and convenient is the first thing we reach for on the shelf, but these quick meals could cause long term health problems. Pathogens are not killing us, but processed foods are. These processed foods can cause a…

horror of peoples’ living conditions in his How the Other Half Lives. Muckrakers, reform-favored investigative journalists, would also produce works to gain the attention of higher authorities to illustrate the horrors the working class faced. Upton Sinclair was a muckraker, known for his creation of The Jungle, which was an exposé that highlighted the repulsions of the meatpacking industries. This greatly influenced President Roosevelt who in response drafted the Meat Inspection Act and Pure…

business and the corruption in politics” by writing independent newspapers sensationalising the ill effects on the community’s future if there was no reform in the health standards of businesses. Without the help of the most famous Muckraker, Upton Sinclair, it might be possible that the Progressive Movement may not be as robust as it may have been looking back, and the Food and Drug Administration may not have saved thousands of…

The Progressive Era was a time when a diverse group of critics and reformers came together to solve the issues within America. During this period of time there were tensions between the ideals of social justice and the urge for social control, but because of these tensions many achievements can now be associated with this. The main groups during this period of time were the Muckrakers, Women Reformers, and African Americans. The Muckrakers were small groups of investigative reporters that wrote…

Eating grocery-store food is not currently viewed with suspicion, whereas a hand-prepared, foraged meal raises eyebrows. How do chemicals, shiny steel factories, and tin cans make us feel more secure in the buccal insertion of chemical-laden foodstuffs? How did we get to the point where, unless, it comes from a can, box, or bag, food is suspect? Now, I don’t advocate blaming everything on the government. But this phenomenon does stem, at least partially, from governmental interference. Yet,…

Chicago in 1893: Bright City, Dark Menace In the historical novel “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America,” author Erik Larson portrays Chicago as both the city of opportunity and simultaneously as a hotbed of crime and human exploitation (Larson). Chicago in the 1890’s was quite rough because jobs and murders have made the city a place of both danger and opportunity. Numerous murders have led to turmoil in the city. In addition, the changes that…

established 8 hour workday for railroad workers. In addition to these protective acts was the Workmen’s compensation Act of 1916. It guaranteed protection to workers and their dependents in event of injury or death on the job. In the book The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, a muckraker, the inhumane practices in the meatpacking industry were exposed, many Americans were alerted to the fact that meat processing was highly unsanitary, and Theodore Roosevelt was prompted to create the Food and Drug…