May America be preserved from the British, the Barons, the Senators, Rockefeller

The press from its early formative stages in the American Revolution has served as fuel for igniting the masses rage toward their oppressors. They have an uncanny talent for sensationalizing an events and blowing vague accounts out of proportion. What characterizes the Muckrakers and the early revolutionary writers is their desire to stir public opposition toward those that hold the power over the common people. For the Muckrakers, the oppressors appeared in the form of the senators, barons and the filthy rich oil industry owner John D. Rockefeller. During the American Revolution, writers like Samuel Adams denounce the maltreatments that the colonist of Boston suffered under the British military control. In both instances the members of the press served to inspire the masses to take action against their oppressors.




In the 1920s, the Muckrakers’ impact lied in their veracity. Their highly accurate, vivid descriptions of rotten food and Senators vices served to implement changes in both government and the economic sector. During this time there was a transition from newspapers to magazines as the main medium of communication. On the opposite end, Revolutionary writers relied heavily on newspaper articles. These writers had the uncanny habit of creating miniature historical fictions and labeling them as facts. In numerous occasions writers like Sam Adams wrote fictional accounts describing the British officers rapping of old ladies or harassing pretty maidens with indecent request. Both groups utilized sensationalism in order to raise public awareness of injustices. However, Muckrakers relied on vivid descriptions, revolutionary writers relied on exaggeration.
Regardless of the methods implemented both types of media had a strong impact on the American masses. Revolutionary writers like Tom Paine gave inspiration to Washington’s troops in his Crisis essay. Muckrakers are directly responsible for the passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. This law assured buyers that vendors did not sell you a squirrel calling rabbit meat. Both groups trigger broad social changes. The revolutionary writer triggered a shift from colonialism to democracy in America. Muckrakers forced the corporation centered government to return to its democratic roots. Thanks to these groups we today enjoy a government for the people by the people.