Messy Reform

Who would have known that Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle would raise so many eyebrows during its publication? Who would have known that it would be the first stepping stone to creating a more healthier food system for Americans? Who would have believed that a young, poor, failing writer would create a novel so impactful? Not many did, nor did the publishers that he brought the story to. But Sinclair’s novel would prove them wrong, for it would change the future for the food market industry forever.

Upton Sinclair was born in Maryland in 1878. As a young child, he began writing short novels. As he progressed through the years, he continued to write more novels and produced jokes to help finance his way through college. He joined the socialist party, and started to base his novels around socialistic beliefs. The time then came when he was ready to publish his first novel. It did not sell, neither did the second, third or fourth one.

When Sinclair heard of a meat-packing strike in Chicago, he thought of it as a plot opportunity and headed out to pursue it. During two months of 1904, Sinclair ventured the areas they called “Packingtown”. He spoke with many immigrants about their harsh working conditions in the meat-packing industry. He then saw these conditions first hand with his 12-hour- a-day schedule inside the factories.

After his time in Chicago, he returned to one of his hometowns in Princeton to begin writing his future great novel, The Jungle. He moved into a 18-by-16-foot cabin and then began to write. In later years, Sinclair described the process, “I wrote with tears and anguish, pouring into the pages all the pain that life had meant to me.” He spent three months writing the novel, describing the horrible environment that he worked in.

His main character was known as Jurgis Rudkus, who was an immigrant that worked in one of the Packingtowns. He described one process with, “One by one, they hooked up the hogs, and one by one with a swift stroke they slit their throats.” The story went on to saying more disgusting details such as, “De-vyled” ham was made out of the waste ends of smoked beef that were too small to be sliced by the machines; and also tripe, dyed with chemicals so that it would not show white; and trimmings of hams and corned beef; and potatoes, skins and all; and finally the hard cartilaginous gullets of beef, after the tongues had been cut out.”

After Sinclair’s completion of the novel, he started searching for publishers. His first five publishers turned him down, fearing the plot was too “politically hot” for readers. His 6th attempt was with Doubleday in 1906. They accepted him and started publication. The novel quickly became famous and was referred as the “most revolutionary piece of fiction of the age”.

The Jungle was then compared to the many influential novels such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin. American readers quickly demanded the reform of the food industry. They then sent hundreds of letters a day to President Theodore Roosevelt demanding change. Roosevelt, who received an advanced copy of The Jungle, sent government agents to Chicago to research these claims said by Sinclair. His agents returned, reporting worse evidence than what Sinclair had claimed. Roosevelt had Sinclair brought to the White House to hear his thoughts on how to reform the meat-packing industry.
Congress paid no attention to Sinclair’s socialistic views, and instead paid very close attention to the eight pages of gruesome details that took place in the factories.

At the end of June, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, sending agents to inspect for unsafe food and medicines. They also passed the Meat Inspection Act to inspect the meat-packing factories. To this day, our food and medicines are protected by these same regulations.

Pleased with Sinclair’s work, Roosevelt gave Sinclair the same term that he gave reformers like Sinclair, “muckrakers”. But with many people, the term was not meant to be a compliment. Sinclair was not pleased with the fame that he received over the book. He was disappointed that his book was now known for its meat-packing controversy instead of its socialistic views. He said later on, “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach”.

The Jungle helped lead into the Progressive movement. It changed the style of journalistic and novelist stories into more aggressive writings in order to make an impact in the many reforms occurring during that time. Social commentator Randolph Bourne from that time describes the novel and the time period as, “When a whole people woke up”. The future Prime Minister Winston Churchill said that the novel “Pierces the thickest skull and most leathery heart.” To this day, The Jungle is continually referred to by animal activists and factory workers that demand better working conditions.

So let me ask you, what if the reform that Upton Sinclair started never happened? Do you think that we would be eating in healthy conditions, or the unsanitary, dangerous and potentially deadly conditions? And do you think our medicines would be good to consume if produced in those same conditions? Probably not. But thanks to Sinclair and his accidental attempt at reform, we now feel safer when we choose meat from a local grocery store, and when we pick up our medicine from our pharmacy. His book was just one of many wake up calls that would change the future of American history forever.