Populism And The Progressive Era

On the tails of Populism, entering into the 20th century, Americans began to ask themselves, “what is freedom?” and “do we actually have it?” In the 20th century, people began to compare their definition of freedom with their circumstances, and did not like the results. The people, who realized they did not like their circumstances, rallied together to change their social or political circumstances. They began fighting for things such as equal pay, stopping corruption, or just better circumstances. Change became so imperative that by 1910, the word progressive began to summarize the American movement, eventually grouping the century into the century of progress or the Progressive Era. Though women and industrial workers fighting for their rights
were significant to the Progressive Era, there were also other notable, recognizable acts during the Progressive Era made by journalists and novelists. In the 20th century, journalist, and novelists were undergoing, exposing corporations and industries that were knowingly hurting society. The President called these brave journalist and novelists, muckrakers, meaning that journalists were using their skills to expose the horrible or unfair parts of America.
One of the most influential muckrakers of the Progressive Era was Upton Sinclair. Upton Sinclair, in 1906, wrote a novel called the Jungle. The Jungle depicted the meat industry selling rancid meats and unhygienic slaughterhouses, therefore exposing the meat industry. Upton Sinclair's the Jungle brought about public outrage leading to the Pure Food and Drug Act, in addition to the Meat Inspection Act. However, after the Jungle was published, it became difficult to verify the authenticity of Sinclair's statements. In March 1906, Sinclair wrote President Roosevelt, warning Roosevelt that Department of Agriculture could be pushed away by the factory just as easily as everyone else. In order to ensure the same result, the Department of Agriculture would have to be “something of a detective, or else intimate with the working-men, as I was, before he can really see what is going on” (Upton Sinclair writes to President Roosevelt,
1906).

Sinclair, in his letter, also stated despite the factory's official statement ensuring the public that the meat did not come in contact with anything harmful, another statement from a lawyer said different.
A lawyer named Mr. Thomas McKee was sent to Chicago to see if the claims were true. McKee wrote, “Of the six condemned hogs referred to two were afflicted with cholera, the skin being red as blood and the legs scabbed; three were marked 'tubercular, ' though they appeared normal to a layman, the sixth had an ulcer in its side which was apparent. Two men were engaged in chopping up hogs from this line” (Upton Sinclair writes to President Roosevelt, 1906). Sinclair, then noted how he personally saw ham being pumped with chemicals to destroy the smell from when it spoiled in pickle. He also observed pigs who died form cholera being shipped. Sinclair wrote in the letter how he consulted a doctor of bacteriology, who did a meat inspection of 1902-03, the physician reported seeing beef that were condemned by the inspectors, shipped off at night. Sinclair, in his letter, insisted that the acts committed by the meat industry was not healthy, he supported this by quoting the physician, “My education as a physician teaches me that disease follows the same law whether in animals or human beings” (Upton Sinclair writes President Roosevelt, 1906). After the letter was sent, Sinclair's statements were authenticated, which lead to better regulation in meat factories. Though Sinclair's
method of exposing urban issues was muckraking, Jane Addams took a different approach. Jane Addams was a female reformer, who fought for the improvement of immigrant circumstances in America. Jane Addams founded the Hull House, part of the settlement movement, to help improve the lives of immigrants. Jane Addams believed that “the mere foothold of a house, easily accessible, ample in space, hospitable and tolerant in spirit, situated in the midst of the large foreign colonies which so easily isolate themselves in American cities, would be in itself a serviceable thing for Chicago” (Jane Addams, The Subjective Necessity for Social Settlements, 1893).