Who were the muckrakers and what problems did they specifically expose in American society?

Question

Answer:

Answer 1

An ideal answer will:
1. Define the muckrakers as journalists who wrote investigative journalist reports for newspapers and magazines, like McClure's. The term muckraker comes from Teddy Roosevelt, who referred to the journalists as raking through the filth of society. Their stories ended up being published by Hearst and Pulitzer, two of the publishing giants in America at the turn of the century.
2. Discuss Henry Lloyd who wrote about Standard Oil, the 1877 railroad strike, and denounced corporate monopolies as a threat to everyday people.
3. Discuss Ida Tarbell and her History of the Standard Oil Company that exposed the shady business practices of John D. Rockefeller.
4. Discuss Ray Standard Baker, who looked at striking coal miners, and Lincoln Steffens, who exposed the political corruption in the mayoral office of Minneapolis.
5. Discuss Upton Sinclair and his publication The Jungle, which exposed the horrific and unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry, leading to legislative reform.
6. Write a concise and effective conclusion.