Chapter 19 Section 2 649

Section 2Step-by-Step Instruction

Review and PreviewThe Progressive movement succeeded on the state and local levels. Students will now focus on the reforms made by Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson.

Section Focus QuestionHow did the Progressive Presi-dents extend reforms?Before you begin the lesson for the day, write the Section Focus Question on the board. (Lesson focus: The Progressive Presi-dents worked to destroy monopolies and trusts and to address the nation’s problems.)

Prepare to Read

Build Background KnowledgeIn this section, students will learn about the reforms made by Progressive Presi-dents. Remind students that they read in Section 1 about muckrakers and some of the problems they exposed. Using the Idea Wave strategy (TE, p. T24), have students list some of those problems and brain-storm for ways they think the government might respond to them.

Set a Purpose! Read each statement in the Reading

Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to mark the statements True or False.

Teaching Resources, Unit 6, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 83

! Have students discuss the statements in pairs or groups of four, then mark their worksheets again. Use the Numbered Heads participation strategy (TE, p. T24) to call on students to share their group’s perspectives. The students will return to these worksheets later.

Use the information below to teach students this section’s high-use words.

High-Use Word Definition and Sample Sentence

efficient, p. 650 adj. done In a way that minimizes waste and gets better resultsDuring the Industrial Revolution, new machines and new sources of power made manufacturing more efficient.

rigid, p. 653 adj. strict; not easily bent or changedWhen it came to women’s rights, Susan B. Anthony was rigid and refused to compromise.

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The Progressive Presidents

Key Terms and PeopleTheodore

Roosevelttrustbusterconservation

national parkWilliam Howard

TaftWoodrow Wilson

Government Over Corporations“When I came into office [the Sherman Antitrust Act]was dead; I took it up and for the first time had itenforced. We gained this much by the enforcement: . . .the establishment of the principle that the governmentwas supreme over the great corporations.”

—President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912

Why It Matters Although Progressives made many gainsat the state and local levels, they initially had little successat the national level. That changed, however, in the early1900s. Several reforming Presidents adopted Progressiveideas, limited the abuses of big business, and tackled othertough national problems.

! President Roosevelt was an enthusiastic speaker

Objectives• Describe how Theodore Roosevelt tried to

limit the power of business.

• Summarize the main points of Roosevelt’s Square Deal.

• Identify the reforms promoted by Presidents Taft and Wilson.

Reading Skill

Explain Issues From the Past Every era in history has its issues—the ideas or problems that people think about, argue about, and put their energies into. As you read about history, explain these issues to yourself as a way of understanding what mattered to people of that time. Use headings and main ideas to help you identify and explain the issues.

Section Focus Question: How did the Progressive Presi-dents extend reforms?

The First Progressive PresidentOn September 6, 1901, an unemployed anarchist stood

nervously in line at the world’s fair in Buffalo, New York. Hewas waiting to shake the hand of President William McKinley.When McKinley extended his hand, the assassin fired twoshots into the President. McKinley died eight days later.

Vice President Theodore Roosevelt then became Presi-dent. At age 42, he was the youngest President to take office.He was also a strong supporter of Progressive goals.

Teddy Roosevelt Teddy Roosevelt—or TR, as he wascalled—came from a wealthy New York family. As a child,he suffered from asthma and often was sick. To build hisstrength, he lifted weights, ran, and boxed. For a time, heworked on a cattle ranch.

TR wanted to serve the public. At the age of 23, he waselected to the New York state legislature. Later, he served on theCivil Service Commission. He then headed New York City’spolice department and served as assistant secretary of the navy.

Differentiated Instruction

650 Chapter 19

Teach

The First Progressive Presidentp. 649

Instruction! Vocabulary Builder Before teaching

this section, preteach the High-Use Words efficient and rigid, using the strategy on TE p. T21.Key Terms Have students continue to fill in the See It–Remember It chart for the key terms in this chapter.

! Have students read The First Progres-sive President using the Paragraph Shrinking strategy (TE, p. T23).

! Have students discuss the difference President Roosevelt saw between “good trusts” and “bad trusts.” (He believed that good trusts were efficient and fair but that bad trusts mistreated workers and cheated consumers.) Ask: How did he believe bad trusts should be handled? (He said they should be controlled or broken up.)

! Discuss how President Roosevelt han-dled mine owners in Pennsylvania. Ask: How did President Roosevelt limit the power of mine owners? (He threatened to send troops to run the mines if the owners did not negotiate with the unions.)

Independent PracticeHave students begin filling in the study guide for this section.

Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 19, Section 2 (Adapted Version also available.)

Monitor Progress

As students fill in the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate and make sure individuals understand President Roosevelt’s position on trusts. Provide assistance as needed.

Answer

He thought it was good but some “bad” trusts must be controlled to protect people.

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Vocabulary Flashcards Have students make a list of the Key Terms and High-Use Words for this section. Then have them create flashcards with the word on one side and its definition on the other. Pair

students with a partner and have them quiz each other on the definitions of the words using the flashcards. Check their understanding as they read the section.

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650 Chapter 19 Political Reform and the Progressive Era

In 1898, the United States went to war against Spain.(You will read about this in the next chapter.) Roosevelt led aunit of troops in some daring exploits that received wide-spread publicity. He returned home to a hero’s welcome andwas elected governor of New York. Two years later,Roosevelt was elected Vice President under McKinley.

TR and Big Business As President, Roosevelt won areputation as a trustbuster, a person working to destroymonopolies and trusts. He was not against big business, hesaid. Indeed, he liked big business. But he saw a differencebetween “good trusts” and “bad trusts.” Good trusts, he said,were efficient and fair and should be left alone. Bad ones tookadvantage of workers and cheated the public by eliminatingcompetition. The government, he said, must either control badtrusts or break them up.

Roosevelt resolved to do just that. In 1902, he had thegovernment bring a lawsuit against the Northern SecuritiesCompany. Northern Securities was a trust that had beenformed to control competition among railroads. TR arguedthat the company used unfair business practices.

In 1904, the Supreme Court ruled that Northern Securitieshad violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. It ordered the trust tobe broken up. The decision was a victory for Progressives. Forthe first time, the Sherman Antitrust Act had been used tobreak up trusts, not unions.

Roosevelt later launched suits against other trusts,including Standard Oil and the American Tobacco Company.In time, the courts broke up both trusts because theyattempted to limit free trade.

A Boost for Organized Labor Roosevelt also clashed withmine owners. In 1902, Pennsylvania coal miners went on strike forbetter pay and a shorter workday. Mine owners refused to negotiatewith the miners’ union.

As winter approached, schools and hospitals ran out of coal.Furious at the owners, Roosevelt threatened to send in troops to runthe mines. Finally, the mine owners sat down with the union andreached an agreement. Roosevelt was the first President to side withstrikers.

What was Theodore Roosevelt’s attitude toward big business?

The Square DealRoosevelt ran for President in his own right in 1904. During the

campaign, he promised Americans a Square Deal. By this, he meantthat everyone from farmers and consumers to workers and ownersshould have the same opportunity to succeed. That promise helpedRoosevelt win a huge victory.

Vocabulary Builderefficient (ee FISH ehnt) adj. done in a way that minimizes waste and gets better results

History Background

Chapter 19 Section 2 651

Discovery School VideoView The Conservation Movement with stu-dents to learn about conservationist lead-ers during this period.

The Square Dealp. 650

Instruction! Have students read The Square Deal.

Remind them to look for causes and effects.

! Ask: What did Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 campaign slogan “Square Deal” mean? (All Americans should have the same opportunity to succeed.)

! Discuss how President Roosevelt sup-ported conservation. (He believed in using resources wisely, urged lumber companies to plant new trees to replace those cut down, and set land aside for national parks.)

! Have students read the worksheet Pre-serving Nature and Our Heritage to learn more about Roosevelt’s legacy as a conservationist. Have students discuss the importance of national parks.

Teaching Resources, Unit 6, Preserving Nature and Our Heritage, p. 88

! Display the transparency Roosevelt and the Meatpackers to enhance students’ understanding of how Roosevelt pro-tected consumers.

Color Transparencies, Roosevelt and the Meatpackers

Independent PracticeHave students continue filling in the study guide for this section.

Monitor Progress

As students fill in the Notetaking Study Guide, circulate and make sure individuals understand Roosevelt’s role as a conserva-tionist and consumer protector.

Conservation and Immigration Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation efforts encour-aged Mexican immigration. In 1902, Con-gress passed the Newlands Act to finance construction of irrigation projects in arid

states. The law created millions of acres of new farmland in California, Texas, and Arizona. As a result, many Mexicans entered the United States in search of work on the new farms that were built.

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In 1903, President Roosevelt (below left) went camping in California’s Yosemite Valley with conservationist John Muir (below right). The trip strengthened Roosevelt’s commitment to conservation. Today, you can still enjoy Yosemite National Park. Critical Thinking: Link Past and Present What do the pictures here suggest about the long-term effects of Roosevelt’s conservation policies?

INFOGRAPHIC

Roosevelt andand Conservation

Explore More VideoTo learn more about protecting wilderness areas, view the video.

Section 2 The Progressive Presidents 651

Conserving Natural Resources Roosevelt took action toprotect the nation’s wilderness areas. To fuel the nation’s surgingindustrial growth, lumber companies were cutting down entire forests.Miners were removing iron and coal at a frantic pace, leaving gapingholes in the earth.

Roosevelt loved the outdoors and worried about the destructionof the wilderness. He pressed for conservation, or the protection ofnatural resources. Roosevelt was not against using resources, but hebelieved they had to be used wisely, with an eye toward the future.For example, he urged lumber companies to plant new trees in theforests they were clearing. Roosevelt declared:

“I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.”

—Theodore Roosevelt, “The New Nationalism”

Under Roosevelt, the U.S. Forest Service was formed in 1905 toconserve the nation’s woodlands. Roosevelt also had thousands ofacres of land set aside for national parks. A national park is a naturalarea protected and managed by the federal government.

Explain Issues Fromthe PastExplain Roosevelt’s rea-

sons for supporting conservationand how they affected his approach to big business.

AnswersLink Past and Present They suggest that Roosevelt’s conservation policies did pre-serve wilderness areas such as Yosemite.

Reading Skill Possible answer: Roosevelt was concerned about conserving America’s outdoors. He asked industry to help him with his goal.

Differentiated Instruction

652 Chapter 19

Taft and Wilsonp. 652

Instruction! Have students read Taft and Wilson.

Remind them to look for the sequence of events.

! Ask: What were some reforms under Taft that Progressives favored? (safety rules in mines and child labor laws) Ask: Why did Taft lose Progressive support? (Progressives believed a bill he signed to raise tariffs hurt consumers. They also accused him of blocking conservation efforts.)

! Have students analyze the impact of the Bull Moose Party. (Roosevelt’s new party split the Republican vote, enabling Demo-crat Woodrow Wilson to win.)

! Discuss the New Freedom. Ask: How did the New Freedom restore fair com-petition among American corpora-tions? (The Federal Trade Commission was created to investigate unfair practices and could order companies to stop using such practices to destroy competitors; the Clayton Antitrust Act banned practices that limited free enterprise.)

Independent PracticeHave students complete the study guide for this section.

Monitor Progress

! As students complete the Notetaking Study Guide, make sure individuals understand how Presidents Taft and Wilson continued making reforms.

! Tell students to fill in the last column of the Reading Readiness Guide. Probe for what they learned that confirms or invalidates each statement.

Teaching Resources, Unit 6, Reading Readiness Guide, p. 83

Answers

He loved the outdoors and worried that industries would not use nat-ural resources wisely.Draw Inferences Possible answer: He was not easily intimidated.

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Who’s Who of Reform Presidents Tell students to suppose that they have been asked to write Who’s Who entries for a Who’s Who of Reformers. Their entries should briefly describe regulation of big business by one of the following Presi-

dents: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, or Woodrow Wilson. Entries should include policies discussed in the text and other policies that students dis-cover through research. Students can present their entries in writing or orally.

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652 Chapter 19 Political Reform and the Progressive Era

Protecting Consumers Roosevelt also supported reforms toprotect consumers. Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle had shockedRoosevelt. The President made public a report exposing unhealthyconditions in meatpacking plants. The public outcry forced Congressto pass a law in 1906 allowing closer inspections of meatpackinghouses.

Muckrakers had also exposed drug companies for making falseclaims about medicines and adding harmful chemicals to cannedfoods. In response, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act,which required food and drug makers to list all the ingredients onpackages.

Why did Roosevelt support conservation?

Taft and WilsonRoosevelt did not want to run for reelection in 1908. Instead, he

backed William Howard Taft, his secretary of war. Taft won easily.

Troubles for Taft Taft’s approach to the presidency was fardifferent from Roosevelt’s. Unlike the energetic Roosevelt, Taft wasquiet and cautious. Roosevelt loved power, Taft was wary of it.

Nevertheless, Taft supported many Progressive causes. He brokeup even more trusts than TR. He favored the graduated income tax,approved new safety rules for mines, and signed laws giving govern-

ment workers the eight-hour workday. He alsooversaw the creation of a federal office to make regula-tions controlling child labor.

Despite such actions, Taft lost Progressive support.In 1909, he signed a bill that raised most tariffs.Progressives opposed the new law, arguing that tariffsraised prices for consumers. Also, Taft modified someconservation policies. Progressives accused the Presi-dent of blocking conservation efforts.

Election of 1912 By 1912, Roosevelt had brokenwith Taft. He decided to run against Taft for theRepublican nomination. Roosevelt had massivepopular support, but Taft controlled the RepublicanParty leadership. At its convention, the RepublicanParty nominated Taft.

Roosevelt and his supporters stormed out of theconvention. They set up a new party, called the Progres-sive Party, and chose Roosevelt as their candidate. Heaccepted, saying “I feel as strong as a bull moose.”Roosevelt’s Progressive Party became known as the BullMoose Party.

Democrats chose Woodrow Wilson, also aProgressive, as their candidate. Wilson had servedas president of Princeton University and as governorof New Jersey. Wilson was known as a brilliant

Three-Way RaceTR, the “bull moose” candidate, made the presidential election of 1912 a three-way race. CriticalThinking: Draw Inferences Whydoes the cartoonist show the “moose” nipping at the elephant?

Chapter 19 Section 2 653

Assess and Reteach

Assess ProgressHave students complete Check Your Progress. Administer the Section Quiz.

Teaching Resources, Unit 6, Section Quiz, p. 93

To further access student understanding, use the Progress Monitoring Transparency.

Progress Monitoring Transparencies, Chapter 19, Section 2

ReteachIf students need more instruction, have them read this section in the Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide.

Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 19, Section 2 (Adapted Version also available.)

ExtendAsk students to research one of the Pro-gressive Presidents. Have them list the accomplishments of their subject. Then have them discuss in class any lasting legacies of the Presidents’ administrations.Web Code: mye-0306

Progress Monitoring OnlineStudents may check their comprehen-sion of this section by completing the Progress Monitoring Online graphic organizer and self-quiz.

Answer

He won as a result of Taft

and Roosevelt splitting the Republican vote.

Section 2 Check Your Progress

1. (a) Roosevelt believed that Northern Securities used unfair practices to con-trol competition among railroads and that Standard Oil blocked free trade.(b) Possible answers: small businesses that could compete; the general public, as prices were lowered

2. (a) Roosevelt lost the Republican nomi-nation to Taft and ran as the candidate of the Bull Moose Party, which was

established by Progressive Republicans angry about Taft’s nomination.(b) Possible answer: It could split votes away from the traditional Democratic and Republican parties.

3. Possible answer: Both Roosevelt and organized labor wanted better condi-tions and pay for workers. Roosevelt threatened to use federal troops to work the mines, for example, thus forcing the mine owners to negotiate with workers’ unions for fair conditions.

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Section 2 Check Your Progress

scholar and a cautious reformer. Though honest and idealistic, hewas often criticized for being rigid and unwilling to compromisewith others.

Together, Taft and Roosevelt won more votes than Wilson.However, they split the Republican vote, and so Wilson won the 1912presidential election.

Wilson and the New Freedom Wilson hoped to restore freecompetition among American corporations. He called his programto achieve this goal the New Freedom. To ensure fair competition,Wilson persuaded Congress to create the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) in 1914. The FTC had the power to investigate companies andorder them to stop using unfair practices to destroy competitors.

Wilson signed the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914. The new lawbanned some business practices that limited competition. In addi-tion, it stopped antitrust laws from being used against unions.

To regulate banking, Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act in1913. The act set up a system of federal banks and gave the govern-ment the power to raise or lower interest rates and control the moneysupply.

How did a split among Republicans enable Woodrow Wilson to become President?

Looking Back and Ahead Despite Wilson’s successes,the Progressive movement slowed after 1914. By then, Progressiveshad achieved many of their goals. Also, in 1914, war broke out inEurope. Americans worried that the war might soon affect them.You will read about World War I in the next unit.

For: Self-test with instant helpVisit: PHSchool.comWeb Code: mya-6152

Comprehension and Critical Thinking1. (a) Recall Why did Theodore

Roosevelt want to break up Northern Securities and Standard Oil?(b) Identify Benefits Whichgroups of people might have ben-efited from Roosevelt’s actions as a trustbuster?

2. (a) Recall Why did the Republi-can Party split during the 1912 presidential election campaign?(b) Draw Conclusions Whatimpact might a powerful third party such as the Bull Moose Party have on a presidential election?

Reading Skill3. Explain Issues From the

Past Reread the text following the subheading “A Boost for Organized Labor.” Explain the central issues that moved Roosevelt. How did he interact with big business over these issues?

Key TermsRead each sentence below. If the sentence is true, write YES. If the sentence is not true, write NO and explain why.4. Theodore Roosevelt was called a

trustbuster because he lost the trust of the people.

5. Roosevelt was a strong supporter of conservation, which is the pro-tection of natural resources.

Writing6. Write the opening paragraph to

an editorial evaluating TR’s presi-dency. Complete the following topic sentence, and introduce each point that follows with a transition word: Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal created a number of reforms that were (express your opinion here). For example, he _____. In addition, he _____. Most important (OR worst of all), he _____.

Vocabulary Builderrigid (RIH jihd) adj. strict; not easily bent or changed

Woodrow Wilson

4. No, Roosevelt was called a trustbuster because he broke up monopolies.

5. Yes, he wanted to protect the wilder-ness.

6. Answers should show students’ under-standing of Roosevelt’s presidency.

Differentiated Instruction

654 Chapter 19

The JungleBuild Background KnowledgeReading literature from the past can help students understand contemporary reac-tions to events in the past. It can also help students grasp the impact of written cul-ture on historical events. Review with stu-dents what they know about muckrakers and how they brought issues to the atten-tion of the American public. Ask: How do you think people in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reacted to muckrakers’ stories? Use the Think-Write-Pair-Share strategy to elicit responses (TE, p. T25).

Reading Skill

Remind students that writers can empha-size a point through the use of symbolism. As students read, ask them to look for concrete images and objects in the passage and to discover the ideas these symbols might represent.

Vocabulary BuilderTeach Key TermsPronounce each word in the Vocabulary Builder list and have students repeat the word. Ask a student to read the defini-tions. Ask students to suggest synonyms for these vocabulary words. For example, what is a synonym for a nuisance? (pest)

Instruction! Using the Paragraph Shrinking strategy

(TE, p. T23), have students read the pas-sage from The Jungle. Ask: What is the main idea of this passage? (Possible answer: Meatpacking companies use danger-ous and unclean practices to manufacture as much as possible, including many unhealthy products.)

! Ask: According to Sinclair, what caused the abuses in the meatpacking industry that are described in this passage? (Pos-sible answer: The meatpacking companies wanted to make more money.) Ask: How do you think these abuses could have been prevented? (Answers will vary, but should show students’ understanding that before The Jungle was published, the meat industry was completely unregulated.)

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Gaining Comprehension Have students mark unfamiliar words or phrases (such as borax on this page) with a sticky note. Ask students to write a guess about the mean-ing of each word based on its context. (For

example, a good guess for borax might be “a chemical.”) Periodically provide assis-tance to the students to clarify these words.

654 Chapter 19 Political Reform and the Progressive Era

The Jungleby Upton Sinclair

Prepare to Read

IntroductionThe main characters in The Jungleare a family of immigrants who have recently immigrated to Chicago from Eastern Europe. Several of them find jobs at a meatpacking plant. In this excerpt, Elzbieta, one family member, learns the gruesome details of the sausage-making process.

Reading SkillAnalyze Symbolism Symbolismis the use of concrete images or objects to represent abstract ideas. Upton Sinclair wrote TheJungle in order to make a statement about the excesses of unrestricted free enterprise. As you read this passage, consider what the practices Sinclair describes might represent.

Vocabulary BuilderAs you read this literature selec-tion, look for the following underlined words:scheme (skeem) n. dishonest planhopper (HAH per) n. a bin in which material is temporarily stored

nuisance (NOO sehns) n. annoyanceenforce (ehn FORS) v. bring about by force

The packers were always originating such schemes—they had whatthey called “boneless hams,” which were all the odds and ends ofpork stuffed into casings; and “California hams,” which were theshoulders, with big knuckle joints, and nearly all the meat cut out;and fancy “skinned hams,” which were made of the oldest hogs,whose skins were so heavy and coarse that no one would buythem—that is, until they had been cooked and chopped fine andlabeled “head cheese”!

It was only when the whole ham was spoiled that it came into thedepartment of Elzbieta. Cut up by the two-thousand-revolutions-a-minute flyers, and mixed with half a ton of other meat, no odor thatever was in a ham could make any difference. There was never theleast attention paid to what was cut up for sausage; there would comeall the way back from Europe old sausage that had been rejected, andthat was mouldy and white—it would be dosed with borax and glyc-erine, and dumped into the hoppers, and made over again for homeconsumption. There would be meat that had tumbled out onto thefloor, in the dirt and sawdust, where the workers had tramped andspit uncounted billions of consumption germs. There would be meatstored in great piles in rooms, and the water from leaky roofs woulddrip over it, and thousands of rats would race about on it. It was toodark in those storage places to see well, but a man could run his handsover these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung ofrats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put out poi-soned bread for them, they would die, and then rats, bread, and meatwould go into the hoppers together. This is no fairy story and no joke:the meat would be shoveled into carts, and the man who did theshoveling would not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one—there were things that went into the sausage in comparison with

BackgroundBackgroundThis passage describes, among other things, the working con-ditions for laborers. Though Sinclair wrote The Jungle in order to speak out against working conditions for labor-ers, the public’s reaction was not what Sinclair intended. The public outcry over this book’s description of meat-packaging practices helped lead to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

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Instruction (continued)! Ask students to explain whether they

find the passage believable. (Answers will vary, but should note the many specific details Sinclair uses to describe meatpacking plants.)

Monitor ProgressDiscuss with the students the sausage-making process according to The Jungle. Ask: What went into the sausages? (Possi-ble answer: anything, including spoiled meat, dirt from the floor, dead rats, poisoned bread, dirty water, and waste) Ask: Why would people buy these products? (Possible answer: People did not know what was in them.)

Analyze LITERATURE

Answers will vary, but should show students’ under-standing of the strong reactions inspired by the images in The Jungle.

Writing Rubric Share this writing rubric with students.Score 1 Does not address assigned topic and is poorly organized.Score 2 Details, arguments, and organiza-tion are often unclear or incorrect.Score 3 Has organization suited to topic, some appropriate details, some original ideas.Score 4 Has clear organization suited to topic, many appropriate details, and origi-nal ideas.

The “Father of the Pure Food and Drug Act” As chief chemist of the Department of Agriculture from 1882 to 1912, Dr. Har-vey W. Wiley worked with a team of vol-unteers known as the “poison squad” to call national attention to the harmful effects of many additives and chemical preservatives used in food. For this work

and for his support of the 1906 law, Wiley was nicknamed the “Father of the Pure Food and Drug Act.” When the law was passed, Wiley led the Bureau of Chemistry in enforcing it. Even after retiring, Wiley continued to work for high quality and safety standards.

Literature 655

which a poisoned rat was a tidbit. There was no place for the men towash their hands before they ate their dinner, and so they made apractice of washing them in the water that was to be ladled into thesausage. There were the butt-ends of smoked meat, and the scraps ofcorned beef, and all the odds and ends of the waste of the plants, thatwould be dumped into old barrels in the cellar and left there. Underthe system of rigid economy which the packers enforced, there weresome jobs that it only paid to do once in a long time, and among thesewas the cleaning out of the waste barrels. Every spring they did it; andin the barrels would be dirt and rust and old nails and stale water—and cartload after cartload of it would be taken up and dumped intothe hoppers with fresh meat, and sent out to the public’s breakfast.Some of it they would make into “smoked” sausage—but as thesmoking took time, and was therefore expensive, they would callupon the chemistry department, and preserve it with borax and colorit with gelatine to make it brown. All of their sausage came out of thesame bowl, but when they came to wrap it they would stamp some ofit “special,” and for this they would charge two cents more a pound.

From The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair. © 1981. Bantam.

What was wrong with the way the packers cleaned out the waste barrels?

Analyze LITERATUREAfter reading this passage, what images are the most striking? Are the images powerful? Now imagine that you are a member of the general public reading this passage. Write a short letter to your local newspaper expressing your reaction to this passage.

Analyze SymbolismUpton Sinclair wrote at a time when few laws

controlled how people worked and what they produced. Sinclair blamed the capitalist system for these abuses, rather than the lack of laws. Knowing Sinclair’s motivation for writing this book, what abstract idea might the “special” and “fancy” packaging of the meat represent?

If you liked this passage from TheJungle, you might enjoy reading more about the labor movement in America in Ashes of Rosesby Mary Jane Auch. Henry Holt and Company, 2002.

Answers

They only cleaned the bar-rels once a year and the dirty water was poured into the meat hoppers.

Reading Skill Answers will vary, but should show students’ understanding of Sinclair’s idea that capitalist companies such as those in the meatpacking industry misled and abused both workers and cus-tomers. Possible answer: “Special” and “fancy” packaging might stand for the way capitalist companies tried to cover up their bad actions.