Final answer:
Muckrakers were investigative journalists who highlighted social issues in the Progressive Era, thereby prompting public outcry and reforms. Named by President Theodore Roosevelt, their work significantly contributed to the promotion of social justice and various Progressive movements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Role of Muckrakers in the Progressive Era
The term for writers who brought attention to the social ills that Progressives sought to correct is muckrakers. These investigative journalists played a crucial role during the Progressive Era, publishing works that unveiled societal problems and stirred the public to demand reforms. They explored issues ranging from corrupt politics to inhumane working conditions, and became an influential force behind the enactment of legislation aimed at addressing social injustices.
Muckrakers exposed the dark sides of the industrial and urban environments of the Gilded Age, often showing a laser focus on systemic issues within society that needed rectification. They were named by President Theodore Roosevelt, referencing a character from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress who was obsessed with raking filth. Despite Roosevelt's critical view of their intense focus on societal problems, the work of the muckrakers was instrumental in igniting public support for the Progressive movements that emerged to promote social justice, democracy, efficiency, and scientific progress.
Some notable muckraking works include Jacob Riis's "How the Other Half Lives" and Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," each revealing shocking aspects of the lives of the urban poor and the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry, respectively. The legacy of the muckrakers continues to be studied as an important aspect of American history and journalism.