How did Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” Impact the
Meat Factories during the Progressive Age?
During the late 1800s and early 1900s a new stage in the United States began, called the Progressive Era. Over the years, America developed into an industrial working country although, like every country the social and economical problems were becoming an issue. Those who were on top were corrupted and vile while those who did the majority of the work took long hours and low pay. Most who worked complained and began to create movements and boycott the products produced. During the time though some tried to change the ways of these corrupt industries. Many risked their lives in seeking the truth and finding what was true beyond the neatly packaged lies
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He wanted others to see poor conditions these workers had to indur to gain a very little amount of money. “ "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach," he spoke. What Upton Sinclair described better than the working conditions or obstacles that millions of immigrants faced to produce money was, the meat that was being shipped out from Chicago to the people who were sitting and reading the book. Sinclair did not begin to write about socialism out of the blue though. He struggled to publish his books and thought about writing about socialism. He then was paid to write about the meat-packing industry. Sinclair focus on “Packingtown”. Chicago was the center of the meat packing industry. Upton took day and night to research the slums and working conditions the poor worked in. He had a thoughtful plot on what the book would be about. After many months of writing his book was published. Much of the population began to take interest in the book. Many were outraged and horrified over the description of the meat packing industry. They looked more closely on the fact that rat infested meat was churned and put into sausages that would later would be set on the table to be fed to people. Many movement were created and pursued to the congress that laws or acts must be pushed to change the gruesome meat production. The voice was heard. Theodore Roosevelt was …show more content…
Although there had to have been an obligation before to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act. Professor Harvey Washington Wiley wanted to take action and stop the production of the misinterpretation of real medicine. He lead a campaign wanting to end this dilemma, by using propaganda and research he wanted to influence others to take action and react to the lies that were being filled and distributed in bottles of medicine. Even though Wiley presented all of his information, Sinclairs profounding novel was what finally brought the Food and Drug Act to a realization. The Pure Food and Drug Act was a law set up to stop the marketing of ambiguous medicine or medicine that was deteriorated, became hazardous to the people. It also qualified to manufactured goods that were being distributed by factories in which were described in novel. Besides the Pure Food and Drug Act there had also been the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. This action lead to the inspection of the animals in which if they were to consist of any epidemic or infection, it would be unapproved to manufacture. This brought a vast significance to United States for their was a change in the manufacturing and distribution of meats and