After you look at these images of meat packing facilities from early last century, youll understand why social reformer upton sinclair wrote his great 1906 novel the jungle about workers. Which of the following is least accurate about the meat packing industry about 1900. May 07, 2019 the year before, the journalist charles edward russells book the greatest trust in the world had detailed the greed and exploitation of a packing industry that came to the american dining table. Essay about upton sinclair and the chicago meatpacking industry. What book revealed shocking secrets about the meat packing. Political cartoon, the meat market, page 1 of 2 title the. It was a fictionalized account of what it was like in the meat packing industry, and how horrible working conditions were in meat packing plants. I think about only 18 pages were used to describe the sanitary conditions. Vocabulary meat from the walls of the stomachs of cattle chemists of the middle ages who tried to turn base metals into gold the problem this story. Working in the meatpacking industry is the most dangerous job in america. After you look at these images of meatpacking facilities from early last century, youll understand why social reformer upton sinclair wrote his great 1906 novel the jungle about workers. Constitutional rights foundation bill of rights in action fall 2008 volume 24, no. In 1900, there were no real laws on the books covering food processing. History of the meat industry1 texas tech university.
Meant to expose the lives of immigrants, the book revealed more dangerous practices of. As a result, the government would step in and pass legislation that protected consumers from consuming unsafe food. People said they couldnt handle reading about the nastiness of the meat industry, even though the meat industry in. Yet, probably due to the reading of books such as the jungle by upton sinclair, consumers remain very concerned about the safety of the workers in the meat packing plants. From the civil war until the 1920s chicago was the countrys largest meatpacking center and the acknowledged headquarters of the industry. Yet, probably due to the reading of books such as the jungle by upton sinclair, consumers remain very concerned about the safety of the workers in. Utterly disturbing, centuryold photos of meatpacking. Why was meat packing an issue in the 1900s answers. Sinclairs book was so moving and troubling that it inspired the establishment of the food and drug administration, a federal agency that is to this day responsible for regulating. The relatively warm temperatures in southern ohio caused meat to spoil quickly, resulting in a horrendous odor. In chicago 1900 the chicago meatpacking industry, along with other industries, began to expand and grow.
The public has always been concerned about the cleanliness, safety, and wholesomeness of its food supply. The cattle butchers local unions number 5,500 of the 50,000 members, and of these about 2,000 are the most. Thats how long the industry has been infamous for its hazardous working conditions. Working conditions in the new urban industrial zones were wretched, and a progressive reform movement soon grew out of the need to address the health and welfare of the american worker. In this lesson, we will explore the living and working conditions in the meat. It depicts corruption in the american meat packing industry in the 1900s. A protest novel he privately published in 1906, the book was a shocking revelation of intolerable labor practices and unsanitary working conditions in the chicago stockyards. Sinclairs novel the jungle spurred public outrage that led to legislation in. Dec 15, 2011 this feature is not available right now. From the civil war until the 1920s chicago was the countrys largest meatpacking center. Essay about upton sinclair and the chicago meatpacking.
The year before, the journalist charles edward russells book the greatest trust in the world had detailed the greed and exploitation of a packing industry that. Many compare the jungle with harriet beecher stowes uncle toms cabin in showing the power of fiction to move a nation. Upton sinclair and the chicago meatpacking industry in 1900, there were over 1. Chicago packing houses because railroads had connected chicago to the urban markets on. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. His description of diseased, rotten, and contaminated meat shocked the public and led to new federal food safety laws. May 27, 2016 just how dangerous is meat and poultry packing. The jungle, a 1906 novel by upton sinclair, is full of graphic descriptions of the poor conditions workers and cattle endured in the chicago meat packing industry. By the early 1900s, four major meatpacking corporations had bought out the many. It was a major indictment of the meat packing industry. About a month after the jungle was published, the white house started receiving 100 letters a day demanding a federal cleanup of the meat industry, alden whitman wrote in sinclairs. There was money to be made both at home, as well as overseas.
With a new afterword by the author slaughterhouse is the first book of its kind to explore the impact that unprecedented changes in the meatpacking industry over the last twentyfive yearsparticularly industry consolidation, increased line speeds, and deregulationhave had on workers, animals, and consumers. Mar 11, 2009 a man by the name of upton sinclair wrote a novel called the jungle. An early example of investigative journalism, this graphic expose of the chicago meat packing industry presented as a novel was one of the first works of fiction to lead directly to national legislation. First meat packing plant cincinnati porkopolis 1818. Conditions in meatpacking plants 1906, by upton sinclairthe explosive growth of american industry in the late nineteenth century caused a similar expansion in the work force.
The first meatpacking business began in 1692, when john pynchon of springfield, massachusetts, began buying hogs and shipping the meat to boston for the growing city population and the provisioning of ships. His primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working. Photographs from chicagos meatpacking industry, circa 1900 posted on january 16, 2012 1 comment men standing on wooden beams between the cattle yards in chicago, c. The meat inspection act of 1906 united states was passed after years of reports on the unsafe and unsanitary practices of the meatpacking industry. In 1900, he also began a family, marrying meta fuller, with whom he. Children as young as three were often employed and forced to work long hours sometimes 1215 hour days for very little pay. May 12, 2016 the jungle exposed the horrors of the meatpacking industry.
Chicago 1900 became the central home of the american industry and small companies began merging with one another. The book caused quite the uproar and helped lead to the passing of the pure food and drug act along with the meat inspection act. It doesnt compile data on meat and poultry sanitation workers who might not be classified in the industry if they work for outside contractors. Muckraking articles and novels helped to call the publics attention to the industrys horrific practices. He and his family live near the stockyards and meatpacking district where. Meat packing journal is the essential read for every producer that has eyes on exporting. The jungle is a novel by upton sinclair, published serially in 1905 and as a book in 1906. He proposed a more compassionate slaughter method adopted 200 years later.
Some in the meat industry, like the trade association read. Today, the rate of injury in the meat packing industry is three times that of private industry overall, and meat packing was noted by human rights watch as being. At its peak in 1924 it processed more meat than any other place in the world. It doesnt compile data on meat and poultry sanitation workers who might not be classified in. The meatpacking industry also resulted in tremendous amounts of pollution. A history of the meat industry ansc 3404 published by the american meat science association. And while there are some passages that might make your guts churn, the book isnt really about the meat industry.
Parts of the butchered animals that business owners could not sell, they simply dumped into the ohio river, hoping the current would wash the waste away. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. American meat packing in the 1900s was corrupted largely by capitalism without regulations. The nightmare of the chicago meatpacking industry was described as follows. Meat packing blues a book examines when chicago was the king of slaughter. In 1900 the chicago plants alone had 25,000 employees. By 1900 the stock yard had expanded to include five thousand pens. As a result, the government would step in and pass legislation that protected consumers from.
His novel, the jungle 1906, a shocking expose of the unsanitary and dangerous conditions in the plants, was an. The federal meat inspection act and the pure food and drug act of 1906 established the agency that eventually became the food and drug. Jun 30, 2016 about a month after the jungle was published, the white house started receiving 100 letters a day demanding a federal cleanup of the meat industry, alden whitman wrote in sinclairs. Most immigrants came to the united states with little or no money at all, in hope of making a. Upton sinclair, whose muckraking changed the meat industry. Upton sinclair s novel the jungle 1906 was particularly pivotal. Federal regulations helped level the playing field so that small firms could compete more easily against large firms. The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Many years ago the industry was among the most dangerous, but over time, particularly in the last 25 years, that has changed dramatically.
Labor conditions in meat packing and the recent strike. Dangers, tensions lurk in meatpacking industry nbc news. Nov 30, 2010 the meatpacking industry during the early 1900 s was unsanitary, unregulated and incredibly dangerous work. The impact of changing transportation economics on the industry is one of the chief emphases of both books. From what i gathered, it had something to do with the meat industry and its nefarious doings in the early 20th century, which led me to expect. Safety and health guide for the meatpacking industry.
In early agrarian societies, people personally observed food from harvest to consumption. The meat industry in the united states is a powerful political force, both in the legislative and the regulatory arena, even though the way they wield that power is different from many industries. So, it really wasnt about the meat packers doing the right thing to make the world and their employees. In 1906, upton sinclairs novel the jungle, about conditions in industrial meat packing plants, was published. The meatpacking industry during the early 1900s was unsanitary, unregulated and incredibly dangerous work. Today, consumers rely on unseen third parties to scrutinize the safety and wholesomeness of perishable foods and to protect them against natural and manmade hazards that can enter the food chain.
Upton sinclair gives this story from the point of view of himself, a journalist looking to write stories to gain social awareness. Conditions in meatpacking plants 1906, by upton sinclair. Gary younge on upton sinclairs 1906 novel the jungle books. Upton sinclairs the jungle was published in 1906, sparking a public outcry around safety issues in the meatpacking industry. Jul 22, 2017 it was a major indictment of the meat packing industry. May 10, 2017 many years ago the industry was among the most dangerous, but over time, particularly in the last 25 years, that has changed dramatically. Railroads made possible the transport of stock to central points for processing, and the transport of products. By the turn of the last century there were only five or six mammoth meatpacking companies, and they controlled the majority of meatpacking in america. Labor conditions in meat packing ers and sheep butchers, prevailed, but had been rejected in other departments. Sinclair began to write novels but had difficulty getting them published.
Though the meat packing industry has made many improvements since the early 1900s, extensive changes in the industry since the late 20th century have caused new labor issues to arise. The jungle exposed the horrors of the meatpacking industry. In analyzing the labor situation in the industry, we may begin with the leading group of workmen, the cattle butchers. Meant to expose the lives of immigrants, the book revealed more dangerous practices of the chicago meat packers. By the late 1990s, the meat packing industry had consolidated such that the top four firms accounted for approximately 50 percent of all u. Sinclairs grotesque descriptions of conditions and procedures in the meatpacking plant led to subsequent reforms in food safety regulation.
Almost the whole of the novel was about working conditions about plight of workers in the meat packing industry. The meat packing industry grew with the construction of the railroads and methods of refrigeration for meat preservation. His primary purpose in describing the meat industry and its working conditions was to advance socialism in the united states. Apr 04, 2020 i recently read upton sinclairs the jungle. Political cartoon, the meat market, page 1 of 2 title. Today, consumers are divorced from the production and manufacturing conditions of the u. The jungle, a 1906 novel by upton sinclair, is full of graphic descriptions of the poor conditions workers and cattle endured in the chicago meatpacking industry. Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the united states in chicago and similar industrialized cities. Upton sinclair and the chicago meat packing industry in 1900, there were over 1. Upton sinclairs novel the jungle 1906 was particularly pivotal. This greater part of the entire meat industry is primarily focused on producing meat for human consumption, but it also yields a variety of byproducts including hides, feathers, dried blood, and, through the. Most immigrants came to the united states with little or no money at all, in hope of making a better life for themselves. The words of the late pulitzer prize winning author upton sinclair only begin to tell the story of the beginning of the chicago meatpacking business.
540 389 1429 655 1478 698 697 226 247 104 507 1289 799 1363 1236 1097 1253 1513 107 600 260 20 292 1386 1117 812 768 1036 774 1095 749 1350