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Muckracking
During this timespan muckraking was new practice among authors and reporters of the time. These are a few of the muckrakers that instigated a change among their fields of investigation. -
Ida M. Tarbell
Ida Tarbell was one of the first muckrakers and focused her thoughts and actions on the oil industry and monopolies. Rockefeller was the "oil man" at the time and was building a monopoly over all the oil. Her work to exploit this helped lead to the destruction of monopolies. MORE INFORMATION -
Lincoln Steffens - The Shame of the Cities
His book "The Shame of the Cities" gave light to illegal practices in America's politics at the time. His writtings came to the conclusion of "The spirit of graft and of lawlessness is the American spirit." This statement shows the amount of dismay the country was in politically at the time. MORE INFO -
Thomas W. Lawson - Frenzied Finance
His views and insights that he put into his writting "Frenzied Finance" showed the real problems with the copper and other mining industries. He proved that the mining industry has the same problem with the "monopolizing" of the industry just as the oil industry had. MORE INFO -
The Jungle
The Jungle was written by Upton Sinclair and brought to the public eye many illegal and unhealthy practices of the food industry. -
Ray Stannard Baker - Railroads on Trial
Bakers work in "Railroads on Trial" brought to the public interest in the buildings of railroads across the country. The railroads at the time were grabing land as fast as they could in any way possible (illegal or not). His findings helped fix that and also the monopolizing of the RR. MORE INFO -
C. P. Connolly - The Story of Montana
Connolly's main focus was the same as many other muckrakers of his time, monopolies. Especially in the new western frontiers it was easier to get away with illegal practices in business and especially mining by monopolizing, and Connolly had to be one of the people to make this nationally known. -
William Hard - Making Steel and Killing Men
His muckraking work in the steel industry helped uncover the unhealthy practices in the steel factories. They were just as if not more dangerous than the slaughter houses. More men were dying only due to the even more dangerous work by always working with fire and other dangerous elements. MORE INFO -
Edward Bok - The Patent-Medicine Curse
Edward Bok acted through his article in the same way Sinclair did. The medicine industry was having close to the same problems as the packingplants did. Both had their lies and unhealthy practices. One thing that the medicine of that time did however would often tell people that something was going to cure them when it was no more than flavored water just so they could make money. MORE INFO -
Ray Stannard Baker - Following the Color Line
His Work of in the book "Follow the Color Line" helped show America that their really was still segregation happening. Everyone up to his time was too scared to make it public or to voice their opinion about it. He was a big help to the black of the south because thats where he did most of his research and he also stood up for their rights. MORE INFO -
G.K. Turner - The Daughters of the Poor
The Daughters of the Poor" pointed out to the public how under payed the women workforce was according to the rest of the workforce. Of course the pay wasn't fair for any of the lower workers of the time but out of all the workers the wives and women workers got the least pay. This writting helped the women on their way to getting fair pay. MORE INFO"
