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Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant, arrives in Chicago with his family hoping to achieve the American Dream. Instead, they face grueling labor, unsafe working conditions, poverty, fraud, and exploitation in the city’s meatpacking industry. As one tragedy follows another, Jurgis struggles to survive in a system stacked against working-class immigrants. The novel’s vivid portrayal of industrial life helped spark public outrage and reform. Historical Significance: The Jungle exposed shocking conditions in America’s meatpacking industry, helping spur passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and major food-safety reforms in 1906. 1906 Historical Facts * 1906 San Francisco Earthquake devastated much of San Francisco. * The Pure Food and Drug Act was signed into law, partly influenced by public reaction to The Jungle. * First Grand Prix motor race was held in France, helping establish modern auto racing.