Profile of the Day: Upton Sinclair

On this day 145 years ago, author Upton Sinclair was born. A prolific writer, Sinclair wrote over 100 books and other works across various genres throughout his life. His is perhaps best remembered for his famous novel, The Jungle, which exposed the horrific conditions of the meatpacking industry.

Image: Upton Sinclair / Library of Congress

Sinclair was born on September 20, 1878 in Baltimore, Maryland. Although he grew up in poverty, he often spent time with his maternal grandparents, who were very affluent. As a result, Sinclair’s insight into the lives of both the poor and wealthy greatly influenced his books later on.

An avid reader from a young age, Sinclair pursued a career as a novelist and worked as a freelanced journalist to help pay the bills. In 1904, he went undercover in Chicago’s meatpacking plants to write an exposé on the conditions of the meatpacking industry. His research led him to write the novel, The Jungle, which exposed the unsanitary and inhumane conditions of the meatpacking industry in vivid detail. When the novel was published in 1906, the public was in an uproar. The fierce public outcry eventually led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.

Sinclair remained a popular writer throughout the first half of the 20th century and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943. He died on November 25, 1968 at the age of 90.

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