Question

A "muckraker" most likely would have been

a.one who supported a ban on alcohol.
b.an agitator in the civil rights movement.
c.a supporter of president nixon during watergate.
d.against abuses of industrial workers in the early 1900s.

Answer 1

A "muckraker" most likely would have been against abuses of industrial workers in the early 1900s.

Answer 2

The correct answer is D) Against abuses of industrial workers in the early 1900s.

Muckrackers were reporters/writers who exposed corrupt and unjust elements of American society. For example, Upton Sinclair was a famous author who wrote the book The Jungle. This fictional account described the real working conditions of individuals working in the meat packing industry in Chicago. This book exposed the unsanitary conditions and disgusting practices by the meat industry and ultimately resulted in the Meat Inspection Act of 1906.

Another example would be How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis. This book exposes the poor living conditions of factory workers, especially immigrants. The pictures of these living accomodations shocked many American citizens and helped result in changes to the housing industry.