Muckrakers During The Progressive Era

Another important group in the fight against unjust societal institutions were the muckrakers, a new brand of investigative journalists who sought to expose issues including immigrant life and political corruption, among many others. Muckrakers were often encouraged to “terrify evil doers and arouse the consciousness.” In addition, many journalists regarded their craft to be the “guardian and nourisher of civic virtue.” By viewing their profession as an element of civic good, muckrakers gained a sense of legitimacy amongst the American media.
Muckrakers were extremely successful in fighting against various injustices in American society. Ida Tarbell, a journalist for the famous muckraking magazine McClure’s, sought to “loosen the hold of the

mighty monopoly” of Standard Oil. Tarbell’s work, History of Standard Oil, was the first large scale attack on an American business. Jacob Riis, a Dutch muckraker, elected to uncover the plight of immigrants in urban centers, particularly their shoddy housing conditions. Theodore Roosevelt called Riis “the most useful citizen in New York.” In his book How The Other Half Lives, Riis successfully portrayed the abhorrent living situations of immigrants. Although others grappled with the subject matter, Riis’ work managed to capture the deplorable living conditions of immigrants in a manner that “made them irrefutable.” Additionally, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle dealt with topics such as unsanitary working conditions and the mentality of the average urban worker.
The muckrakers expiernced magnificent success in fighting the ills of industrialized America.

Tarbell’s work helped to establish the groundwork for the antitrust legislation during the Progressive era. Additionally, Tarbell’s work was heavily cited in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States. Chief Justice Edward White found Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company to be in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and thus forced the company to separate into geographically independent firms. Jacob Riis’ documentation of immigrant lifestyles led to massive reforms within New York as well as other states. Soon after the book’s publication, the New York legislature passed the New York State Tenement Act of 1901, partially as a result of Riis’ newfound popularity and his close friendship with Theodore Roosevelt. The Tenement Act helped to resolve the major issues that Riis documented. The Act mandated many new polices that addressed issues of overcrowding in rooms as well as the accessibility of windows and running water available to tenants. Moreover, the work of Sinclair helped to pass monumental pieces of legislature, such as the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. While President Roosevelt despised Sinclair’s works, immense public pressure forced Congress to pass the acts.
The journalistic endeavors of the muckrakers had a profound impact on American society. Unlike other groups, the efforts of the muckrakers resulted in direct legislation to combat the issues that they researched. Through their new brand of investigative journalism, muckrakers were able to directly change the society in which they lived. Additionally, muckrakers frequently used their popularity to improve the lives of many groups, especially immigrants and industrial workers, extending these disenfranchised members basic rights that a majority of Americans already

enjoyed.