Final answer:
Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' led to public support for better regulation of the meatpacking industry, resulting in the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which improved factory working conditions and consumer protections.
Step-by-step explanation:
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, a seminal piece of muckraking journalism, had a profound impact on working conditions in factories, particularly within the meatpacking industry. Though Sinclair intended to inspire a critique of Capitalism and the plight of workers, public outcry focused more on the unsanitary conditions in which their food was produced. This led to significant reforms.
After the book's publication, public support grew for regulation of the meatpacking industry, influencing politicians to take action. In response, President Theodore Roosevelt, who was himself repulsed by the conditions described by Sinclair, commissioned an investigation into the meatpacking industry. The findings corroborated Sinclair's descriptions and precipitated the enactment of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
These Acts mandated federal meat inspectors be present at all stages of meat production, established sanitation guidelines, and required labeling of food and drug ingredients, which eventually contributed to the creation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The outcry from The Jungle led to a significant shift in factory working conditions and consumer protection, even if Sinclair's original goal of promoting Socialism was not realized.