Upton Sinclair was known as a strong socialist and wrote political, religious, and educational books that continue to impact the views of capitalism, today. He wrote in many genres, often advocating Socialist views, and achieving popularity in the early twentieth century.
Upton was born in Baltimore, Maryland on September 20th, 1878. His father was a poor alcoholic, while the rest of his family was wealthy. He argued that witnessing the two extremes in his childhood evolved him into a socialist. He was a very intelligent boy, and when he was fourteen, he got accepted to New York City College. Through his teenage years he wrote for various newspapers and national magazines.
His first published novel, "Springtime and Harvest", was published in 1901. After, he wrote "The Journal of Arthur Stirling", "Prince Hagen", "Manassas", and "A Captain of Industry", but all of them were unsuccessful. In the 1900's he became an active socialist and joined the intercollegiate Social Society which included people like Jack London, Clarence Darrow, and Florence Kelley.
English: Upton Sinclair early in his career
Cover of The Journal of Arthur Stirling by the Ame...
Grave site of Upton Sinclair in Washington, DCOnce Sinclair was a socialist, he began thinking about the troubling issues within out country. He decided to write a novel based on immigrant workers in the Chicago meat packing houses. This book, at first was rejected by six publishers saying he was hating on the rich. He didn't want to stop, so he published the book, The Jungle, himself. It was one of the best selling books in his whole career, selling over 150,000 copies and being published in seventeen languages.
His later works such as "The Overman", "The Metropolis", "The Moneychangers"," Love's Pilgrimage", and "Sylvia", were made into movies. In 1934 he ran to become governor of California. He lost, but he began a group called EPIC (End Poverty in California) and gained support from the people. One of his last novels, Dragon Teeth, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1942. He had published more than ninety books by the time he died, November 25, 1968.
Upton Sinclair was a successful writer, politic, and socialist. Though all of these topics were lines that defined his life, his passion was writing which is portrayed in all of his works.
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. as depicted on the cover ...
English: Upton Sinclair wearing a white suit and a...
English: Upton Sinclair himself, selling the “Fi...