Progressive Movement Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Upton Sinclair wrote "The Jungle," a pivotal novel published in 1906 that vividly exposed the horrific and unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry in Chicago. Sinclair aimed to shed light on the exploitative practices of the industry, particularly concerning the health and safety risks faced by workers and the general public. His work played a significant role in raising public awareness about food safety issues and ultimately contributed to federal reforms, including the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

While other figures like Ida B. Wells, Jacob Riis, and John Steinbeck were also influential in addressing social issues—Wells focusing on anti-lynching, Riis highlighting urban poverty through photography, and Steinbeck depicting the struggles of migrants—the specific focus on the meatpacking industry and its sanitation issues is solely credited to Sinclair. His dedication to investigative journalism and social reform is a hallmark of his legacy, making him the correct answer for this inquiry.