USA HISTORY

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA 1900 1917

THE MUCKRAKERS OF THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The primary contribution of the muckrakers in the late 1800s and early 1900s was to
A
promote the ideals of rugged individualism and laissez faire
B
lobby the Federal Government to open more free land to western settlement
C
expose corruption and negligence on the part of big business and government
D
encourage public support for the building of the Panama Canal
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Overview. Muckrakers were journalists and novelists of the Progressive Era who sought to expose corruption in big business and government. The work of muckrakers influenced the passage of key legislation that strengthened protections for workers and consumers.

Detailed explanation-2: -The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s–1920s) who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions, often through sensationalist publications.

Detailed explanation-3: -Influential muckrakers created public awareness of corruption, social injustices and abuses of power. Muckrakers’ sensational accounts resulted in public outcry and served as a catalyst for Progressive Era social, economic and political reforms.

Detailed explanation-4: -A muckraker was any of a group of American writers identified with pre-World War I reform and exposé writing. The muckrakers provided detailed, accurate journalistic accounts of the political and economic corruption and social hardships caused by the power of big business in a rapidly industrializing United States.

There is 1 question to complete.