US HISTORY JANUARY 2018 Muckraker Magazine A project exploring the impact of Progressive Era journalism.

Overview In this simulation, you will be playing the part of American journalists in the year 1905 to see how photojournalists impacted reforms in the Progressive Era. Using primary sources from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, you will examine corruption and social problems in multiple arenas of American life. After spending three days analyzing conditions, you’ll work with a team of four fellow “muckraking” journalists to produce your own short magazine informing the public of your findings (more on this later).

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EXPLORE ANALYZE EXPOSE Look at primary sources Critically examine the Expose the problems to get a firsthand view sources to understand you have just examined of life during this time. exactly what was really and demand reform! going on.

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Who were the original muckrakers? In response to the many problems of the Gilded Age (1870-1920), there arose a new type of investigative journalist, intent on exposing issues in order to bring about reform. Unlike “yellow journalist,” who recklessly manipulated stories (and sometimes outright lied) in order to sell more newspapers, the muckrakers sought to raise public awareness in the hopes of genuine change.

Muckraking journalism emerged on the large- scale around 1900, although individual reporters started uncovering scandals as early as the 1870s, when Lincoln Steffens brought to light the massive corruption in St. Louis under William “Boss” Tweed and Julius Chambers “We muckraked, not exposed abuse of mental patients in Brooklyn. because we hated our Several magazines gained a reputation as world, but because we muckraking publications, most notably McClure’s Magazine. There were many loved it. We were not journalists associated with muckraking, hopeless, we were not including quite a few women. Some of the cynical, we were not most notable muckraking journalists included Upton Sinclair, Nellie Bly, Ida Tarbell, Jacob bitter.” Riis, and Julius Chambers. ~ Ray Stannard Baker

WHERE DID THE TERM ‘MUCKRAKER’ ORIGINATE? The term originally comes from John Bunyan’s 1678 work, Pilgrim’s Progress, where there is a man with a muck-rake who can only look downward at the filth through which he is sifting with his rake.

President Theodore Roosevelt was the first to apply the term to journalists, in a April 14, 1906 speech before the House of Representatives. His purpose in making the allusion was to caution against the potential problems in continually focusing on the negative aspects of society, while at the same time expressing the societal value of such reporters, so long as what they published was truth. Unfortunately, reporters took quite a bit of offense at the term!

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two photographs to practice with — any of INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONS the nine options will work splendidly. Be As with all research projects, it is important that sure to record your answers to prove that we approach this assignment with clear questions you did this assignment. in mind, to guide our search for answers: After you have completed the First Steps, you 1. How did Progressivism impact American are now ready to begin your investigative society? simulation. 2. How did muckraker journalists effect change through their work? The year is 1905 . . .

First Steps Begin by filling out your personal profile. You are an intrepid journalist in your early 20s Before beginning your investigation (and long (choose between age 20-25), working for the before beginning the project portion), there are noted magazine, Collier's Weekly. Click HERE two essential first steps you must take: to select your first name from the list of the names that were popular when you were born; 1. As with any research project, you must you can choose any last name you’d like to go begin by reading background information so with it. You are originally from Philadelphia that you can better understand and (known as the “Workshop of the World” when contextualize the primary documents you’ll you were growing up), but now work in New be working with later. For this purpose, a York City. Click HERE to view a typical issue of tertiary source is best — you need reliable the magazine you write for — skim through it information, with minimal interpretation. and read some articles (more issues can be You will use the Library of Congress’s found HERE). Finally, having gotten a better information in their American Memory feel for your life, write a short bio about entries on the Progressive Era as your first yourself. source of background information. Start by reading the main entry, then make sure to Next, it’s time to familiarize yourself with your read all seven of the topics listed on the adopted home city. Start by clicking HERE and right. This information is all testable! HERE to view film and images from the turn of the century — these are some of the typical 2. Next, you need specialized training in the NYC sights that you walk past every day. Visit study of photographs, as this will be the the OldNYC Project to view an interactive map main type of primary source used in your of New York at this time (make sure to set the investigation. For this, you will go to the date parameters from 1880 to 1905 so that you Image Detective site. Start by clicking on don’t accidentally view NYC in the future). the “How to Read an Image” link to see a Now add a description of your home city. walkthrough on how historians go about this process. Then give yourself practice by The next steps will be given out in class. clicking on the “Do It” link. Select at least

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Various Facts and Sugar cost four cents a pound; eggs were Statistics about 1905 fourteen cents a dozen; coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Click HERE for an inflation calculator. Most women only washed their hair once a Average life expectancy in the US was 47 years. month, and used borax or egg shampoo to do it.

Only 14% of homes in the US had a bathtub. Canada wasn’t very friendly — they passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering Only 8% of homes had a telephone. into their country for any reason. A 3-minute call from Denver to New York City The five leading causes of death in the U.S. cost $11.00. were: (1) Pneumonia and influenza (2) There were only 8,000 cars in the entire Tuberculosis (3) Diarrhea (4) Heart disease country, and only 144 miles of paved roads. (5) Stroke The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 The American flag had 45 stars. mph. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. each more heavily populated than California. The population of Las Vegas was only 30! With a mere 1.4 million people, California was Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea only the 21st most populous state in the Union. hadn't been invented yet. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. Tower. The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per 2 out of every 10 American adults couldn't read or write. hour. The average U.S. worker made between $200 Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school. and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner $2000 per year; a dentist $2,500 per year; a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per drugstores. One leading pharmacist claimed, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy year; and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." More than 95% of all births took place at home. 18% of households in the US had at least one 90% of all American doctors had no college full-time servant or domestic help. education! — Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were There were about 230 reported murders in the entire USA for the year. condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

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