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Upton Sinclair Biography

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Upton Sinclair wasn’t always known as a muckraker. He worked hard to make sure his writing helped people. He wanted to help people in poverty. What started as one article turn into a bestseller book. Although most people believe Lincoln Steffens is the best muckraker, Upton Sinclair is the best because his book, The Jungle, helped save lives. Upton Sinclair was a boy who was exposed to two worlds. Upton was born in Baltimore, Maryland on September 26th,1878. He came from a southern family (“Upton Sinclair is born”, n.d.). He was the only child of an alcoholic, Liquor salesman and a prudish mother (“Upton Sinclair biography, n.d.). He was being raised on near poverty conditions, but through his mother’s wealthy family Upton saw the both the privileges of the upper class and downside to poverty (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.).
Sinclair moved to New York when he was ten. He became a ravenous reader and developed an ardent intellect …show more content…

He wrote Oil!, published in 1927, about the Teapot Dome scandal (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). He wrote Boston,published in 1928, about the controversial Sacco and Vanzetti trial (“Upton Sinclair is born”, n.d.). Both books got good reviews (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). Eight years after Oil! was published it was made into an Academy Award-winning film There Will Be Blood (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). Sinclair was involved in political activities. During the Great Depression Sinclair escalated his political activities (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). Sinclair organized the EPIC movement (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). EPIC stands for End Poverty IN California (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). It was a program that was a base for Sinclair’s run as the Democratic Party’s candidate for governor of California (“Upton Sinclair biography”, n.d.). Sinclair was defeated, taking 37 percent of the vote with three candidates in the race (“Upton Sinclair biography”,

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