Muckraking (1902-1917)

1. Background
   
   1. National Wealth at a price
      1. Growth of monopolies
      2. Illegal, dangerous products
      3. The poor get poorer
      
      
   2. Conditions lead to muckraking
      1. Magazine articles designed to expose evils of society
   
   
2. Precursors to Muckraking
   
   1. Yellow Press editors
   2. Thomas Nast--Harper's
   3. Jacob Riis--How the Other Half Lives (1890)
   4. Realism in novels
   
   
3. Resons for Muckraking
   1. Conditions worsen in 1900s
   2. Rise in popular magazines
   3. Roosevelt and the Progressives
   
   
4. Leading Muckrakers
   1. McClure's Magazine
   2. Lincoln Steffens--Shame of the Cities
   3. Ida Tarbell--History of Standard Oil
   4. David Graham Phillips--Treason of the Senate
   5. Upton Sinclair--The Jungle
   
   
5. Muckraking the Press
   1. Will Irwin's "The American Newspaper"
      1. Advertising and business influence
      
      
   2. Associated Press
      
      
   3. Sinclair's The Brass Check
   
   
6. Accomplishments of Muckraking
   1. Reform legislation
      1. Pure Food and Drug Act
      
      
   2. Government becomes more responsive
      
      
   3. Business works in public interest
   
   
7. Decline of Muckraking
   1. Business retaliates
   2. Muckraking enters new phase
   3. People tired of muckraking
   4. Muckraking achieves goals
   5. Too much competition
   6. Muckrakers help WWI effort *