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Muckrakers During The Progressive Era Essay

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During the Progressive Era, muckrakers were classified as journalists who worked to expose corruption, whether it was corporate or political, as well as social injustices. Some popular muckrakers in the 20th century were Lincoln Steffens, Ida B. Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, etc. Many of these journalists wrote about the corruption of big businesses, poor working conditions, and much more. Although the Progressive Era ended long ago, there are still journalists the work to expose the problems in the 21st century. Eric Schlosser, an influential journalist, works mainly to uncover the unsanitary and prejudice in the fast food industry as well as other topics such as the trade of marijuana and immigrant workers farming the strawberry fields in California. …show more content…

In Fast Food Nation, he uses evidence from the USDA to ensure his writing is credible and trustworthy. He also makes sure to include evidence from the FDA, which is also a reliable government agency, further proving and solidifying his argument. He interviewed people who have either been effected themselves or a loved one who has been effected by illnesses or diseases caused by the fast food. Because Schlosser uses interviews with normal people, the reader better connects with and understands that these problems are real and can happen to anyone at any time. In addition to agencies, Schlosser also produces information based on interviews with doctors and average people who have been affected by the fast food industry. In Reefer Madness, Schlosser uses facts from history to solidify his arguments in each of the three chapters. In order for his arguments towards these topics, Schlosser used interviews as well as going on tours to make his books known. He also claims that an independent books store called Chinook Bookstore and lawyer Harry Schwarz played crucial roles in helping Fast Food Nation first become well-known. Although these helped his book to become popular, his interviews, tours, and book readings were what really promoted his

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Eric Schlosser's purpose in writing Fast Food Nation is to inform the American readers that they personally withhold the power to change solve the nation's fast food crisis. Schlosser exerts and Authoritative tone in his passage, "how to do it, which guarantees the reader that demanding the fast food industry to change will yield amazing results. The authoritative tone embodies the reader with a sense of reassurance and safety. Schlosser wants the reader to know that, "Even the anticipation of consumer anger has prompted McDonald's to demand changes from its suppliers" in the past (269). The reader is provided facts that make them believe that they have leverage over the industry.

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What is a muckraker? Muckrakers were investigative journatists who wrote exposés on corruption in politics and buisness. In 1906, President Theadore Roosevelt made a speech about investigative journalists. He began calling them Muckrakers, a name which had influenced society 's views. Writers who used their exaggerated works to expose corruptions, fraud, and injustice now had their own label.

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The role of the muckrakers during the Progressive Era was to expose the problems and political corruption along with investigating and reporting the news that was true so all can be aware. The way the muckrakers worked to change the ills of society and big businesses was by exposing people and the companies for what they were doing and to bring the information to the people. Three famous muckrakers during the Progressive era include but not limited to Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, and Jacob Riis. Upton Sinclair, known for his article called the jungle. It exposed the unsanitary conditions in the United States meatpacking industry, and his work led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 and the Meat Inspection Act. This is what

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The Progressive era was a time when reformers wanted to improve American life. Among these reformers were investigative journalists called muckrakers, who sought to expose social problems. In 1906, Upton Sinclair wrote a novel that changed America for the better. Sinclair, a muckraker, wanted to expose the evils of the meatpacking industry, especially with respect to working conditions. Sinclair went undercover into the factories to gain first-hand information on the scandals of the meat industry.

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Muckrakers and unions helped by protesting against the dangerous conditions, unfair treatment, and dishonest dealings during the Progressive Era. These ordinary citizens often used writing or pictures to show the corruption of businesses and cruelty toward workers to the public. A prime example of this is Ida M. Tarbell, whose articles lead to the breaking up of Rockefeller’s oil monopoly. Tarbell wrote about social issues for McClure’s magazine, and in 1902, she published “The History of the Standard Oil Company”, which criticized corruption in the dominant oil corporation. Her writings made the public both aware of the issue and angry about it, and the growing outrage lead to the government disbanding the Standard Oil Company on the idea that it was a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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During industrialization many problems were created that had to be fixed during the Progressive Era. Most of these problems were brought out into the light by muckrakers by using novels and political cartoons. After the people realized what was happening many laws were created to help fix these problems. One of the most famous muckrakers is Upton Sinclair, who wrote the novel, The Jungle.

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Progressives were a group of well educated people in the late 1800s and early 1900s that were from a city that tried to help solve social and political problems. They all debated on how to fix problems until they came to a decision. They thought it was important to launch a reform because of the problems in civil rights,conservation,healthcare and medicine,and many more problems.

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Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser discusses how the American nation has been shaped and changed by fast food. The author takes something that is so American, fast food, and portrays to the reader the impact it has really had on American life and its culture. The author talks to multiple people who feel the negative impacts of the fast food industry and then goes more in depth about it. He relates life today to different time periods, such as the 1920s, great depression, and the industrial revolution. This book shows the read that in fact, history does repeat itself.

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The term muckraker was given to forward-thinking, “watch-dog” journalists who wrote for popular publications and often worked to expose social and political

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