Which muckraking author published The Jungle, revealing unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry and prompting federal regulation?

• A. Jacob Riis
• B. Upton Sinclair
• C. Ida Tarbell
• D. Ray Stannard Baker

Answer: (B)

This question tests recognizing which muckraking writer caused a major push for federal food-regulation reform. Upton Sinclair published The Jungle in 1906, a vivid exposé of unsanitary practices and worker abuses in Chicago’s meatpacking industry. The shocking descriptions shocked the public and pressured lawmakers to act, leading to landmark protections like the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The other writers mentioned are known for different investigations—Riis highlighted urban poverty, Tarbell examined the Standard Oil monopoly, and Baker explored race and labor issues—so they are not the author behind The Jungle.