1878
1968
Sinclair was a prolific writer, journalist, and reformer who sought to expose social injustices in America’s cities. His 1906 book, The Jungle, was a searing indictment of the meatpacking industry’s appalling working conditions and unsanitary practices. The public outcry created by its publication led to Congress passing the Meat Inspection Act in 1906 and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1907.