Where was change needed?

Problems  Industrial hazards  Corrupt governments  Overcrowded cities  Poor living conditions  Powerful big business  Growing gap between rich and poor  No consumer protection

Muckrakers  Exposed conditions  Gave a human face to suffering  Took on big business  Encouraged change

Ida Tarbell  1902 – History of the Standard Oil Company Father was an independent oil man Business went bankrupt and partner committed suicide Blamed Standard Oil

Frank Norris  1901 – The Octopus About railroads misusing their power

Lincoln Steffens  1904 – The Shame of the Cities  About political corruption in urban United States

Jack London  1907 – The Iron Heel  Warned of a bloody revolution if nothing was done to curb capitalism’s abuses

Upton Sinclair  1906 – The Jungle  Novel about the meatpacking industry

Ray Stannard Baker  1908 – Following the Color Line  Examined the plight of African Americans

Theodore Dreiser  1900 – Sister Carrie About workers who were brutalized by low wages  1912 – The Financier About business owners who were driven by greed

Herbert Croly  1909 – The Promise of American Life  Believed that government should promote the welfare of all citizens by expanding opportunities for them

Jane Addams  1902 – Democracy and Social Ethics  Believed that democracy is more than a right to vote, it is a society that shows concern about everyone