Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
| Ask a question |
| Request a visit |
| Potentially harmful content statement |
Overview of the Collection |
|
| Title: | Upton Sinclair Campaign Collection |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1934 |
| Quantity: | 1 folder (SC) |
| Abstract: | Pulitzer Prize winning American author. The collection contains material relating to Sinclair's 1934 candidacy for Governor of California under the End Poverty in California (EPIC) platform. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, best known for his novels exposing corruption and poor social, economic and working conditions. His 1906 novel The Jungle led to reforms in the American meat-packing industry, including passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. He ran twice for Congress on the Socialist Party candidate, unsuccessfully, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of California in 1934. The campaign captured a great deal of attention; conservatives portrayed Sinclair as a Communist and circulated quotes from his novels taken out of context in an attempt to prove that he was an enemy of military veterans, lawyers, businessmen, the Knights of Columbus, universities, Christianity, and the Boy Scouts, among other things. He was defeated by his opponent, Frank F. Merriam. The campaign is notable for being one of the first to employ mass media techniques.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Upton Sinclair Campaign Collection consists of campaign letters and literature along with newspaper clippings, all relating to Sinclair's 1934 bid for the governor's seat in California. Included are a wide selection of publications and campaign ads by his opponent.
Arrangement of the Collection
Campaign literature appears first, followed by newspaper clippings and Sinclair campaign letters.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Subject Headings
Persons
Subjects
Places
Genres and Forms
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Upton Sinclair Campaign Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Richard W. Van Wagenen, 1988.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: MRC
Date: 23 Aug 2010
Revision history:
Inventory
| Campaign materials | |||||||||||
| SC 567 | Campaign literature 1934 - from both Sinclair's and Merriam's parties | ||||||||||
| SC 567 | Newspaper clippings 1934 | ||||||||||
| SC 567 | Sinclair campaign correspondence 1934 - mailings from the party to supporters | ||||||||||