Contributors to the Rise and Fall of Socialism

            Many different people contributed to the rise of socialism. Writers and leaders of unions were some of the most popular. During the rise of socialism many people were killed for acting out or speaking their minds. Zinn states that according to a report of the Commission on International Relations, in 1914, 35,000 workers were killed and over 700,000 were injured. In one incident 146 workers were killed due to flaws in the company's security standards. According to the law, factory doors were to open outwards and doors could not be locked, but in the Triangle Shirtwaist Companies building all these laws were broken to keep track of their employees. A fire broke out in on the 8th floor and many women and children suffered a tragic death of having to be burned to death or having to jump out of the building from the 8th, 9th, or 10th floors to avoid burning and to only be killed by the fall. People were tired of the way they were being treated and socialism was brought about.
             Writers during the 19th century criticized the capitalist system harshly according to Zinn. Upton Sinclair and Jack London were some of the many writers that wrote of the socialist ideas. Upton Sinclair wrote a novel called The Jungle in 1906. This book was read by millions and translated into 17 different languages. It talked about the meat packaging plants of Chicago and how the working conditions there were unbearable for people. It also spoke of socialism and how life would be so much better if everyone worked to help everyone else. The people that read Upton Sinclair's book spoke up and demanded laws to regulate the meat packaging plants. Jack London was a man that came from an unwed mother and worked in nearly every type of job imaginable to a child at that time. He also was a socialist and he wrote a book called The Iron Heel which talked about a fascist America and his ideas of a socialist brotherhood. These books written touched many people in many ways and help bring out the idea of socialism.