Topics in Chronicling America - Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• 1898-1899. Soldiers in the Spanish-American War die from eating badly-preserved meat or “embalmed beef.” Two generals later testify before Congress about the scandal.
• November 1901. Children in St. Louis and Camden die from tainted vaccines.
• 1902-1906. A group of twelve volunteers, nicknamed the “poison squad,” agree to eat food laced with common preservatives of the time, such as formaldehyde. The study is administered by Dr. Harvey Wiley, who is considered the father of the Food and Drug Act.
• February 1906. Upton Sinclair publishes The Jungle, an expose of the meatpacking industry.
• June 30, 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt signs the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Dr. Wiley, pure food, adulterant.
• To narrow search results, search between 1898 and 1906.
• To find articles relating to specific events, include additional terms in Search. Ex. Embalmed Beef, Vaccine or Serum, St. Louis, Camden, Poison Squad, Beef Trust, Upton Sinclair.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Ventilating the Miles Charges," The Record-Union (Sacramento, CA), February 23, 1899, Page 1, Image 1, col. 4.
• "Three More Deaths Result from Effects of Infected Antitoxin," The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, MO), November 2, 1901, Page 1, Image 1, col. 5.
• "Vaccination Scare in Philadelphia," The Scranton Tribune (Scranton, PA), November 19, 1901, Page 1, col. 6.
• "The Man Who Is Leading the Fight for Pure Food," The Washington Times (Washington, DC), November 20, 1904, Page 5, Image 29, col. 1.
• "Dr. Wiley's Poison Squad Enlisted from Expert Topers," The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, MO), December 6, 1903, Page 12, Image 40, col. 4.
• "How the Beef Trust Has Poisoned Peoples' Food," The Commoner (Lincoln, NE), June 8, 1906, Page 7, Image 7, col. 1.
• "Upton Sinclair Tells About the Sufferings of the Women in Packingtown," The Evening World (New York, NY), June 09, 1906, Page 3, Image 3, col. 1.
• "Beef Trust Is Bad," Chicago Eagle (Chicago, IL), April 7, 1906, Page 6, Image 6, col. 1.
• "Pure Food Lesson in House," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), June 22, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Debate on the Pure Food Bill," The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake, UT), June 23, 1906, Page 10, Image 10, col. 1.