Success of "The Jungle"

The Jungle was published in 1906 and earned Sinclair a significant mark in history. The novel is set in Chicago and focuses on the life of a Lithuanian family who sturggles to survive there. The story describes the unsanitary and cruel working condition that the workers had to deal with everyday.

Before writing the novel, Sinclair went to Chicago to study the working conditions in the city. It was the perfect experience for him to begin his novel with.

The novel marked a change in the food industry, most especially the meat-packing businesses and slaughterhouses. His intent was to get government officials to come and inspect the quality of the food being produced as well as the work conditions. Because of his novel, both the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food & Drug Act were established in 1906. These Acts later led to what we know today as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).