About
Upton Sinclair (1878–1968) was a prolific American writer, author of nearly a hundred books. His novel The Jungle (1906), exposing conditions in Chicago's meatpacking industry, sparked public outcry and helped pass the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. A committed socialist, he ran as the Democratic nominee for Governor of California in 1934 with his EPIC (End Poverty in California) movement. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943 for Dragon's Teeth, the third novel in his Lanny Budd series. Other notable works include Oil! (1927) and Boston (1928).
* 1878-09-20 — † 1968-11-25
Major works
- The Jungle (1906)novel
- The Brass Check (1919)non-fiction
- Oil! (1927)novel
- Boston (1928)novel
- Dragon's Teeth (1942)novel
Key milestones
- 1906Publication of The Jungle, which led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.
- 1934Ran as the Democratic nominee for Governor of California with the EPIC movement.
- 1943Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Dragon's Teeth.
Themes
social justicepolitical corruptionlabor conditionssocialisminvestigative journalism
Sources: britannica.com · catdir.loc.gov · archives.iu.edu