Terms and Names

1. Upton Sinclair was a journalist who focused his novel on the human condition of the stockyards in Chicago. 2. The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair, exposed the conditions of the meatpacking industry. 3. Theodore Roosevelt was originally the McKinley’s vice-president, but after McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt became president. He was also the youngest president at 42 years old. 4. The Square Deal is the term Roosevelt used to describe the various progressive reforms he sponsored. 5. The Meat Inspection Act introduced strict sanitary requirements for meatpackers and created the federal meat inspection.

6. The Pure Food and Drug act was passed by congress in 1906. It halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and demanded veracity in labeling. 7. Conservation, to Muir was the complete preservation of the wilderness. While to Roosevelt and Pinchot, it meant that some wilderness will the preserved while others will be developed. 8. The NAACP stood for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP’s purpose was to achieve equality among the races.

Critical Thinking

Forming Generalizations: Experts greatly influenced Roosevelt’s reforms. Upton Sinclair, an expert on the meat scandal, greatly influenced Roosevelt’s Meat Inspection Act by exposing the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry. Dr. Harvey Washington, a Chief Chemist at the Department of Agriculture, greatly advocated the Pure Food and Drug Act by criticizing manufacturers added preservatives to food. When Roosevelt camped with John Muir, a conservationist, was able to persuade the president to set aside 148 million acres of forest reserve, 1.5 million acres of water-power sites, 80 million acres of land for resources, 50 wildlife sanctuaries, and several national parks.

Evaluating: Roosevelt’s intervention was in favor of the strikers. He was irked “by the stupidity and bad temper” of the mine operators, which demonstrates his favor for the strikers. He even wanted to take one owner “by the seat of his breeches” and toss him out the window. This further emphasizes his dislike for the mine operators.

Analyzing Issues: W.E.B Du Bois opposed Booker T. Washington’s views on racial discrimination because Washington “does not value the privilege and duty of voting, belittles the emasculation of castle distinctions, and opposes higher training and ambition”. Du Bois opposed Washington’s accommodation for segregationist. He also opposed Washington belief that poverty is because of the blacks. In addition, Du Bois did not urge African Americans to accept discrimination as suggested by Washington.