This post was originally published in 2012 but we love the Social Justice Project and wanted to revisit some of these great stories.
This is how the story of Upton Sinclair begins (by Dan).
In 1906, one of the most important books pertaining to social justice was published. The book was, “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. It was about the deplorable conditions that workers endured in the meatpacking industry in Chicago. Because of this book, many labor, and federal, laws were enacted to protect workers. Sinclair’s novel, while fiction, was based on his observations while he worked in a meatpacking plant for 7 weeks, to gather information for a magazine article. What he experienced was so horrific, he decided to write a novel. This book demonstrates the power of the written word on social justice, and has been published continually for over a century.
I am Upton Sinclair
To be continued…
Upton Sinclair (WES31) is part of a series of Social Justice Leader rocks created by students of Whittier ece-8 in Colorado. We invite you to visit all WES rocks and submit your comments and feedback.
If you have found this rock or would like to continue this story, let us know!