Upton Sinclair was an American author, journalist, and political activist who became one of the most influential social critics of the early 20th century. His 1906 novel "The Jungle," which exposed the horrific conditions of the Chicago meatpacking industry, caused public outrage and directly led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Sinclair wrote over 90 books throughout his life and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943 for "Dragon's Teeth." A committed socialist, he ran for governor of California and became a prominent voice for progressive reform in American society.
