Muckrakers1 Four branches of Government The Executive The Judicial The Legislative THE PRESS

Muckrakers2 “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”—Tommy Jefferson.

Muckrakers3 Newspapers keep the citizens informed about the actions of other branches of government. Upton Sinclair. Take a look at him tonight and discover the work of a singular journalist and writer. Ask questions!!! Go the extra mile! P.S. Remember Stephen Crane? He, too, was considered a “Muckraker”

Muckrakers4 Upton Sinclair –One of the great Muckrakers, Sinclair exhaustively researched his topic and described the bleak worker’s underworld of unbridled capitalism and survival of the fittest where workingmen and women were pitted against each other in a frantic effort to survive.

Muckrakers5 Sinclair’s nauseating portrayal of the filth and corruption of the meatpacking industry hit America right in the stomach. The following outcry led to federal meat inspection and regulation of the business.

Muckrakers6 Let’s review: The Press can be, for our purposes, thought of as a fourth branch of government. –Why? –Because, just like each of the other branches of government, the press is designed to keep an eye on the government and keep the average citizen apprised of the movements of our government.

Muckrakers7 What did Jefferson say about the press? –Why? –THE FIRST AMENDMENT: Congress shall make no law……abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. Why would congress have bothered to include this?

Muckrakers8 This Constitutional protection is one of the most important cornerstones of our freedom. –Think about what would happen if the government controlled what people could say and what the newspapers could print. Write down 5 consequences…….

Muckrakers9 People would be afraid to talk or write about things with which they disagree. People would be afraid to try to make changes for the better. Those in power could arrest and punish anyone who disagrees with them. The government could control what people know, say, and do.

Muckrakers10 Muckrakers “THE PEOPLE ARE THE ONLY CENSORS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT.”--JEFFERSON Take a moment to grab a dictionary for each of your groups and define the words: a.) Censor b.) Censorship

Muckrakers11 Muckrakers Questions: –What do people need in order to be the censors of their government? –Why does the government need censors? –How can a free press contribute to a good government? –How does a free press keep our country moving toward freedom?

Muckrakers12 Muckrakers Let’s not forget that industry was booming and large corporations were growing at exponential rates. Wealth during this period (often referred to as the “Gilded Age”) went to a very small minority of businessmen.

Muckrakers13 Muckrakers Laborers, often immigrants (don’t forget that 8 million arrived in the first 10 years of the 20 th century), women, and children worked and lived in terrible conditions from which they could not escape.

Muckrakers14 Muckrakers The government did NOT regulate business practices, or health care, or child labor, or the quality of products sold to the public. It was an “Anything goes” society, and unscrupulous people took advantage of the freedom to make fortunes.

Muckrakers15 Muckrakers

16 Muckrakers Hand out My issue……