Meat-packing

By mhi

  • The Start

    In 1900, there were four major meat-packing industries, and the home of the nation's biggest meat-packing industry was the one in Chicago. The industry in Chicago packed really bad meat, some covered in rat poop and poisoned bread, and it had really bad working conditions, causing some workers' fingers to be cut off by dangerous machines. This is where the meat-packing problems needed to be solved.

  • Novel

    In 1906, Sinclair wrote "The Junlge", where he described the horrors of meat-packing in detail after experiencing the working conditions himself for seven weeks. The novel became the nation's biggest best-seller since the Civil War era's "Uncle Toms's Cabin". "The Jungle" encouraged more public awareness and caused some laws to be created to solve the problems in the industries.

  • Result

    After the book was written, acts like the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act has been passed down by congress, which both makes sure that the food products are safe to eat and are being advertised truthfully.

  • The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

    When the factory fire occurred, manylegislators and politicians realized the dangers of factory conditions, and as a result of the fire, New York State, as well as many other states following New York, they established laws to regulate factories. New York ultimately passed down twenty laws to control factory safety and increase public awareness.

  • Theodore Roosevelt

    Roosevelt ran against Taft in the Progressive Part, and he believed in regulations and reform and supports federal protections for laborers.

  • President Wilson

    When Wilson became president, he did pass two acts regulating labor: Adamoson Act, establishing an eight-hour work day for railroad employees, and the Workingmen's Compensation Act, which provides government financial assistance to federal employees injured on the job. Neither of these acts addressed the majority of workers, however, especially those who were working in the meat packing industry. But these acts helped some laborers have better working conditions.