Muckraking
A study of the muck
Muckraking
• The exposing or revealing of corruption in the
government or private business to the public
Chicago’s Union Stock Yards
Chicago’s Union Stock Yards
The Jungle
The Jungle’s effect
• Government created
sanitation laws and other
restrictions for the meat
companies
– This made food products
safer
• Made Chicago’s industry
the focus of America
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Robber Barons
• One of the American industrial or financial
tycoons who became wealthy by unethical
means, such as exploitation of labor
– Think monopoly guy
• Cornelius Vanderbilt was considered one
• Argued for “laissez faire”
– What is laissez faire?
John D. Rockefeller
• President of Standard Oil
Company
– ExxonMobil, Chevron,
Conoco, BP, Marathon
• Accused of being a robber
baron – corrupt boss
• He had $257.6 BILLION in
today’s dollars
– Bill Gates only has $100
billion
Labor Unions
• Why would you want to be in a labor union?
– What does a labor union accomplish?
Haymarket Square Riot
• Chicago, May 4, 1886
• 8 hour work day was scheduled to be
implemented on May 1, 1886
• Some bosses weren’t following that law
• Someone threw a bomb at the police
• Most people thought it was an anarchist or
socialist. Why?
Haymarket Square Riot
• The media may have distorted the event
• The governor pardoned some of the people
convicted in the deaths of police officers
– Labor union population dropped dramatically
• International Labor Day is on May 1st
– Ours is in September
– May 1 in the U.S. is Law Day
Labor Injustices
• We talked about robber barons who paid low
wages and had disgusting working conditions
• Bosses weren’t afraid to hire children
Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire
• Women working in a shirt factory
• Factory caught fire on the 8th, 9th, and 10th
floors
• 146 workers died
Progressive Era
a period of reform which lasted from
the 1890s to the 1920s
Goals of Progressivism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Social justice
Moral improvement
Democracy
Economic Change
Efficiency
Conservation
Social Justice
• Settlement houses
• YMCA
• Soup
kitchens
Moral Improvement
• Prohibition – 18th
amendment
– A social movement led
by women
• Women’s Christian
Temperance Union
– Feminism
Democracy
• Women’s suffrage –
19th amendment
– More rights for more
people
• Direct Election of
Senators – 17th
amendment
– Gave voters more
control
• Secret Ballot
Economic Change
• Muckrakers
• Child Labor laws
• Trust Busting
– Trust – business
entity formed with
intent to monopolize
Trust Bustaz
• refers to
government
activities
designed to
break up trusts
or monopolies
• No more laissez
faire
Trust Bustaz