Outline of Muckraking

I. The Start Of Muckraking (1902-1903)
        •Lincoln Stevens, widely known as first muckraker, joins McClure's, a journal at that time. Would go on to be the greatest muckraking journal.
        •Writes an article about corruption within St. Louis.
        •Ida Tarbell writes first issue of her "History of the Standard Oil Company" series, exposes Rockerfeller's monopoly.

II. Making Strides  (1904-1905)
       •St. Louis DA Joseph Folk gains public support from the help of Steffens' articles. Goes on to become governor of Missouri.
       •Editor of Ladies' Home Journal Edward Bok urges readers to boycott patent medicines.
       •Upton Sinclair writes an article for the newspaper Appeal to Reason exposing the conditions of meatpacking plants.

III. Reformation (1906-1913)
       •Congress passes Hepburn Act, penalizing railroad companies for preferential arrangements. Shady dealings with railroad companies started to come to an end.
       •Standard Oil Company is found guilty on several charges of fraud, company is forced to break up monopoly and form thirty-eight smaller businesses.
       •Ladies' Home Journal prints a simulated bill named "An Act to Regulate the Manufacture and Sale of 'Patent' Medicines", President Roosevelt advocates a law regulating food and drugs.
       •David Graham Phillips begins attack on political system, accusing politicians of treason and corruption.
       •Dozens of senators that Phillips attacked lose their senate seats and more followed in the next few years.
      •Constitutional Amendment changes the election of senators from being voted on by state legislatures to being voted by the American people.