Chapter 19 Overview

Chapter 19 is about people wanting justice and freedom in America. It makes sense considering that that is what we expect of it today. It is suppose to be fair and everyone is supposed to have the same rights. In Chapter 19 women, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Asian-Americans all fought for equal rights as the white males. It is also about corruption and big business being exposed. Muckrakers worked everyday to find out if anyone was cheating the public of what they pay for. Ida M. Tarbell tried to expose Rockefeller's unfair business methods. Jacob Riis showed the public shocking images of slum life. Upton Sinclair wrote "The Jungle" to let everyone know about how the meatpacking industry wasn't sanitary. All of these people wanted these injustices to stop. Also, in Chapter 19 they talk about the U.S.'s first progressive presidents. Theodore Roosevelt was referred to as a trustbuster. He attempted to destroy all monopolies and trusts. William Howard Taft approved new safety rules for mines, gave government workers an eight hour work day, and helped oversee the regulation of child labor. Woodrow Wilson persuaded congress to create the FTC to investigate companies and make them stop using unfair trading practices. Not to mention that he stopped anti-trust laws from being used against unions. Prohibition went into effect in this chapter. It was to try and control the reckless use of alcohol. It had good intentions even if you don't agree with it. This is what Chapter 19 is about. It is about an attempt to make America less corrupt and the land of the free.