Muckrakers

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Muckrakers

Overview

• In the late 1800s, many grassroots reform movements began to spread throughout the nation.
• This period became known as the Progressive Era.
• During this time, investigative reporters called “muckrakers” began exposing social ills and corrupt businesses.
• Their efforts led to major legislation that affected American business and society.

Many muckraking journalists revealed social injustice. They also helped bring down large business interests and politicians who were focused on their own benefits rather than those of American citizens.

During the late 19th century, many American journalists became concerned about social wrongs. They wanted to hold politicians and business leaders accountable. These journalists used honest investigation methods, such as examining public records to detect irregularities. Their aim was to spur reforms to improve living conditions for the common people, particularly workers. Their efforts defined a period called the Progressive Era. President Theodore Roosevelt praised the efforts of investigative reporters in strong language. “There is filth on the floor,” Roosevelt stated, "and it must be scraped up with the muckrake.” The public began calling these journalists "muckrakers." The muckraking journalists took great risks to reveal the truth about powerful people. Some gained fame for their efforts.

Muckrakers

upton sinclair: the Jungle

In 1906, writer Upton Sinclair published a book titled The Jungle. Sinclair had gone undercover in Chicago's slaughterhouses. He wanted to document the abuse of low-paid slaughterhouse employees. They labored for long hours in dangerous workplaces splattered with biological wastes. Many workers suffered injury, sickness, or death.

Notable muckrakers included:

• Ida B. Wells, who promoted civil rights
• Ida Tarbell, who exposed John D. Rockefeller’s questionable business practices with Standard Oil
• Nellie Bly, who revealed poor treatment of patients with mental illnesses
• Ambrose Bierce, who identified corruption in the railroad business
• Upton Sinclair, who wrote about the ills of the meatpacking industry
• Jacob Riis, who published photographs of immigrants in urban slums

Famous Muckrakers

Sinclair's purpose was to improve working conditions for these employees. Here was a population, low-class and mostly foreign, hanging always on the verge of starvation, and dependent for its opportunities of life upon the whim of men every bit as brutal and unscrupulous as the old-time slave drivers . . . Things that were quite unspeakable went on there in the packing houses all the time, and were taken for granted by everybody" (Sinclair, 1906).Slaughterhouses were confined areas bustling with activity. Workers swinging meat axes to cut animal carcasses often slashed fellow workers. The floors stayed slippery with blood and animal wastes. The constant streams

of filth bred bacteria that endangered public health. Sinclair witnessed the appalling conditions in Chicago's slaughterhouses. "Muckraking" was an appropriate term for his investigation. Sinclair described the layers of filth and gore that covered every surface. Meatpackers slaughtered diseased animals to save money. They used red dye to disguise spoiled meat as fresh. They ignored the rats that fell into meat grinders with the beef and pork. Poor sanitation and careless procedures were contaminating America's meat supply with bacteria. The Jungle quickly became an international bestseller. But Sinclair could not arouse public outrage over the plight of slaughterhouse workers. Most people cared only about the meat they served on their own dinner tables. Learning of the sickening filth in slaughterhouses triggered a public outcry for better sanitation

upton sinclair: the Jungle (continued)

put in foods. This act also established the Food and Drug Administration. These laws increased consumer confidence about the food and medicines they consumed. Over a century later, the Pure Food and Drug Act regulates the food and medicines that Americans consume. Through these laws, the government expanded federal regulation of private enterprise.

upton sinclair: the Jungle (continued)

practices. The reaction led Sinclair to observe, “I aimed at the public’s heart and by accident hit its stomach.” President Roosevelt read Sinclair's book. He met with Sinclair, then he created a commission to investigate Chicago's slaughterhouses. Roosevelt’s commission confirmed Sinclair's findings. In response, Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. The act imposed strict sanitation standards in American slaughterhouses. The US Department of Agriculture staged inspections to ensure meatpackers followed safe processing procedures. Later in 1906, Congress also passed the Pure Food and Drug Act. This law prohibited misleading labeling and regulated the additives

Ida tarbell: the history of the standard oil company

company. Rockefeller destroyed Tarbell's oil business and bankrupted his family. Tarbell's daughter Ida never forgot the misery Rockefeller caused her family. Three decades later, Ida Tarbell began her own investigation of the Standard Oil Company. She revolutionized investigative reporting. Tarbell interviewed Rockefeller's business partners.

One of the largest monopolies of the time was the Standard Oil Company. Its owner, John D. Rockefeller Sr., was a ruthless businessman. In the 1870s, he sought to gain a monopoly on oil refining in the North. The newspapers called it “the oil war.” Rockefeller gained control of every level of oil production. He used underhanded methods to drive rivals out of business. He conspired with railroad owners to raise shipping costs for other oil businesses. He employed scare tactics and intimidation. Small oil companies could not compete with Standard Oil. They were forced to sell out to Rockefeller or face financial ruin. Frank Tarbell owned a small oil

Ida tarbell: the history of the standard oil company (Continued)

book form as The History of Standard Oil Company.In 1911, the United States Supreme Court found the Standard Oil Company guilty. Rockefeller had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. This act regulated interstate business and sought to prevent monopolies. The Court ordered Rockefeller to break up his oil monopoly. Ida Tarbell's Standard Oil exposé remains a journalistic masterpiece.

She followed paper trails and public records. She sought out solid evidence of Rockefeller’s deceitful business practices. Ida Tarbell's tireless research paid off. She unearthed damaging internal documents detailing Rockefeller’s dishonest business dealings. She found proof of his inside deals with major railroads to overcharge his competitors. She discovered how Rockefeller concealed his identity behind the South Improvement Company. She uncovered his network of secret businesses. In 1904, Tarbell released her findings. She chose to print her report in McClure’s Magazine. Tarbell's exposé ran in 19 installments. Her report created a sensation. Tarbell published her report in