What two pieces of legislation were enacted due to the facts revealed in Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"?
Answer (3)
Upton Sinclair's famous novel, "The Jungle," was a scathing critique of the situation that existed in American factories in the beginning of the 20th century. The book highlighted the poor sanitation and worker standards that existed in meat packing and processing plants. As a result of the book Congress enacted two major pieces of legislation seeking to address the problems addressed in the book. The first was the "Meat Inspection Act", and the second was the "Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906."
The two pieces of legislation that were enacted due to the facts revealed in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle are the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, both passed in 1906. While Sinclair intended his muckraking novel to inspire a challenge to the capitalist system and to advocate for worker's rights, the public and policymakers were mainly horrified by the unsanitary practices at meatpacking plants. Sinclair's vivid descriptions of filthy conditions and tainted meat led President Theodore Roosevelt to investigate, which confirmed the novel's portrayal, eventually resulting in significant regulatory changes.
The Federal Meat Inspection Act mandated sanitary regulations and required federal inspection of all meat processing plants, ensuring that meat was processed under cleanly conditions before reaching the consumer. The Pure Food and Drug Act led to the creation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requiring accurate labeling of ingredients in food and drugs and restriction of certain narcotics. These significant reforms improved transparency, increased safety standards for food and drugs, and laid the foundation for future regulation to protect consumers.
Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' led to the enactment of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, both passed in 1906. These laws established rigorous standards for food safety and hygiene in the meatpacking industry and created the FDA for drug safety. The legislation was a response to the public's shock over unsanitary practices revealed in Sinclair's exposé.
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