Many well recognized authors and journalists came from the Gilded Age. In fact, Gilded Age author Mark Twain came up with the tern "Gilded Age". The term muckrakers also came about during this period of time. This nick name came from Theodore Roosevelt (president at the time) who derisively named them for "the Man with the Muck Rake, ". Muckrakers opposed the business monopolies and corrupt bargaining happening in this era. Journalists would public their works to try to expose political, business and social scandals. If they were juicy enough, some muckraker novels and articles would catch the attention of the supreme court.
45-year-old Ida Tarbell was determined to prove that Standard Oil Company owned by the Rockefellers had never played fair. The result, Tarbell's magazine series "The History of the Standard Oil Company," would not only change the history of journalism, but also the fate of Rockefeller's empire. Instantly popular with readers, "The History of the Standard Oil Company" grew to be a 19-part series. The extent of her research was remarkable, but even more impressive was her ability to digest Rockefeller's complicated business maneuvers into a narrative that would be accessible and engaging to the public. Although the work was strong and credible, many advised Tarbell not to publish because of the tremendous power Monopolies had over the public if they chose to retaliate against her. But like many muckrakers, that was the exact reason she was writing in the first place. Many other famous literature pieces were created during the Gilded Age that provided the guiding principles for investigative journalism today. |
Photo of Ida Tarbell
Photo of Mark Twain
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