Muckrakers of the Muckrakers of the Progressive Reform Progressive Reform EraEra

1890 - 19201890 - 1920

MuckrakersMuckrakers

Journalists who attempted to expose the Journalists who attempted to expose the evils of big business and corrupt evils of big business and corrupt governmentgovernment

The purpose of their reports was to The purpose of their reports was to educate the people about a problem and educate the people about a problem and to encourage them to take actionto encourage them to take action

What were the goals of What were the goals of the Progressives?the Progressives?

To meet the challenges presented by To meet the challenges presented by industrialization and urbanizationindustrialization and urbanization

To break up the monopolies and restore To break up the monopolies and restore competitioncompetition

To break the power of political machines To break the power of political machines and improve democracyand improve democracy

To improve the quality of life for the To improve the quality of life for the people of the United Statespeople of the United States

Who were the Who were the Progressives?Progressives?

Urban, Urban, middle classmiddle class Men and womenMen and women Democrats and Democrats and

RepublicansRepublicans Well educatedWell educated Believers in Believers in

capitalism (not capitalism (not socialism)socialism)

Pragmatic – simple Pragmatic – simple solutions to complex solutions to complex problemsproblems

All levels of All levels of governmentgovernment

Attempted a variety Attempted a variety of reformsof reforms

Optimistic Optimistic

Upton Sinclair – Upton Sinclair – The JungleThe Jungle

FOOD INDUSTRYFOOD INDUSTRY

Exposed the evils in Exposed the evils in the the meatpacking meatpacking industryindustry

Resulted in the Resulted in the passage of the passage of the Meat Meat Inspection Act and the Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Pure Food and Drug ActAct

Upton SinclairUpton Sinclair Was a SocialistWas a Socialist When interviewed, he said that he “aimed When interviewed, he said that he “aimed

at the country’s heart, but instead, hit at the country’s heart, but instead, hit them in the stomach”them in the stomach”

Ida Tarbell – Ida Tarbell – A History of A History of Standard Oil (Co.) Standard Oil (Co.)

MONOPOLIESMONOPOLIES to expose theto expose the

ruthless practices of ruthless practices of John RockefellerJohn Rockefeller

VS.

Jacob Riis – A Muckraking Jacob Riis – A Muckraking PhotojournalistPhotojournalist

URBAN POORURBAN POOR Immigrant from DenmarkImmigrant from Denmark Worked as a police Worked as a police

reporter and reporter and photographerphotographer

Most famous work: Most famous work: How How the Other Half Livesthe Other Half Lives

Exposed living and Exposed living and working conditions of working conditions of urban poorurban poor

Five Cents LodgingFive Cents Lodging

Children Sleeping in Children Sleeping in Mulberry StreetMulberry Street

Girls on a StoopGirls on a Stoop

Home of an Italian Rag Home of an Italian Rag PickerPicker

Tenement YardTenement Yard

Room in a Tenement FlatRoom in a Tenement Flat

CityscapeCityscape

A New York City PeddlerA New York City Peddler

A Ludlow Street A Ludlow Street SweatshopSweatshop

Bandit’s RoostBandit’s Roost59 ½ Mulberry Street59 ½ Mulberry Street

Men’s Lodging Room in Men’s Lodging Room in West 47West 47thth Street Station Street Station

Women’s Lodging Room Women’s Lodging Room in in West 47West 47thth Street Station Street Station

Lincoln Steffens – Lincoln Steffens – The The Shame of the CitiesShame of the Cities

Told of the Told of the political political corruption icorruption in n PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia

New types of city New types of city government government organization organization introduced (city introduced (city manager)manager)

Jane Addams Jane Addams Urban and Immigrant Poor Urban and Immigrant Poor

Settlement HousesSettlement Houses: : located in working located in working class areas, offered class areas, offered help for new help for new immigrantsimmigrants

Hull House, Hull House, Chicago Chicago established; established; devoted to helping devoted to helping urban poorurban poor

US Department of Labor US Department of Labor

Child LaborChild Labor Compulsory Compulsory EducationEducation

Frank Norris – The Frank Norris – The OctopusOctopus

told of the struggle told of the struggle against the railroad against the railroad monopoliesmonopolies