Lincoln Steffens Was A Muckraker During The Progressive Era

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To begin looking at whistle-blowing and speaking out against major problems in society, one should look back to where it began. Lincoln Steffens was a muckraker during the Progressive Era (1890-1920), meaning he exposed corruption in society. After graduating from the University of California, Lincoln moved to New York and became a journalist for the New York Evening Post, then soon after a managing editor at McClure's Magazine. In 1902, like many others, Lincoln promoted change and tried to give people the need for a sense of reform, earning himself the title of a muckraker. Steffens focused on corruption in politics and published “a collection of articles published from McClure’s Magazine” (Steffens 1) titled The Shame of the Cities in 1904