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What is a Muckraker?
Muckraker is a name that was first given to American writers in the early
20th century who exposed corruption and scandals in business and politics.
The term muckrake comes from a character in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's
Progress who could only look downward while holding a muckrake which he used
to rake the filth at his feet. President Theodore Roosevelt used the term
muckrake in a 1906 speech in which he agreed with the accusations of muckrakers,
but questioned their methods. Some of the early muckrakers were Ida Tarbell,
Lincoln Steffens, and Upton Sinclair, although for the purpose of this exhibit
we have included not only the original writers associated with this movement,
but also individuals who contributed to exposing social ills before their
time as well as those who have continued in their tradition.
Sources:
"Muckrakers." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
<http://www.bartleby.com/65/mu/muckrake.html>.
"Muckraker." The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 1989.