In 1906 journalist (and socialist activist) Upton Sinclair published The Jungle, a scathing exposé of the Chicago meat-packing industry and its connections to the larger web of political corruption rampant in cities like Chicago. The book catalyzed a national controversy, but one that fell short of Sinclair’s call for a full embrace of socialism. Indeed, Sinclair later lamented that he aimed for the nation’s heart, but only succeeded in hitting the nation’s stomach. In the 1906 meatpacking controversy, why did Sinclair’s work strike such a chord with the nation, and how did the reflection of Americans as consumers drive the movement for progressive reform? What steps did national leaders like Theodore Roosevelt take to deal with the controversy, and how did his approach fit in with the rest of his regulatory program? Based on primary sources and your own opinion, why didn’t the nation and its president embrace Sinclair’s call to replace capitalism with socialism?
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