NHD Theme Book 2016 | Page 49

EXPLORATION, ENCOUNTER, EXCHANGE IN HISTORY Many progressives were writers who opened Americans’ eyes with their work, in which they pointed out previously overlooked problems. Progressive muckrakers like Upton Sinclair found an ally in the federal government to help promote social reform—Harvey Washington Wiley, the chief chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wiley in turn found a champion in President Theodore Roosevelt, who drove the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) that created the Food and Drug Administration. Reformers are explorers. They promote ideas that are new, risky, and often unpopular and untested. They inevitably encounter some who encourage their viewpoint as well as others who vehemently oppose it. Such encounters—often recorded in newspapers, political cartoons, and popular culture—make up the dialog in a democratic society. Over time, an exchange occurs. Some new ideas are adopted outright and become part of the status quo; some are altered and edited, while others are completely rejected. Connections to Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH6-8.8 Distinguish between fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text. CCSS.ELA-Lieteracy.WHST6-8.1.A Introduce claims about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. Connections to C3 Framework: D2.His.1.6-8. Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts. D2.His.4.6-8. Analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras. D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past Documents Used: All documents can be accessed at www.nhd.org/themebook. Primary Sources Activity 1: • Excerpt from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5727.html Activity 2: Political Cartoon: • “An Awful Case of June Odors,” The Evening World, June 9, 1906 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1906-06-09/ed-1/seq-3/ 47