"The Jungle" details the harrowing conditions of Chicago factory life near the turn of the 20th century. These included the horrors of the slaughterhouse, and the poverty and despair that the workers faced on a daily basis.
Upton Sinclair, an American journalist, primarily wrote this novel to promote socialist ideals, but he also exposed government and business corruption, and galvanized public opinion in the process.
Most notably, "The Jungle" led to the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act — which still regulate food production today — the year it was published.