He also ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a nominee from the Socialist Party. He became the 1934 Democratic Party nominee for Governor of California, running an End Poverty in California campaign. Sinclair later told his son, David, that around Sinclair's 16th year, he decided not to have anything to do with his mother, staying away from her for 35 years because an argument would start if they met. A Bell for Adano, by John Hersey (Knopf) 1944. [16], In 1913–1914, Sinclair made three trips to the coal fields of Colorado, which led him to write King Coal and caused him to begin work on the larger, more historical The Coal War. A strong third party challenge came from Progressive … Sinclair broke with the Socialist Party in 1917 and supported the First World War effort. In Depression-era 1934 Upton Sinclair, the muckraking author of The Jungle, ran seeking the Democratic nomination for governor and won it decisively, racking up more than 50% of the vote. They pressured their employees to assist and vote for Merriam's campaign, and made false propaganda films attacking Sinclair, giving him no opportunity to respond. He experimented with various diets, and with fasting. He did not start school until he was 10 years old. Muckraker Upton Sinclair defeated in 1934 election. Not enough to win, he came in well behind incumbent Frank Merriam's 1,138,620. Sinclair, in fact, would receive almost 900,000 votes, twice the total ever for a Democrat in the state, but would still finish about 200,000 votes behind Merriam. Having used abstinence as their main form of birth control, the couple became pregnant the following year. In 1935, he published I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked, in which he described the techniques employed by Merriam's supporters, including the then popular Aimee Semple McPherson, who vehemently opposed socialism and what she perceived as Sinclair's modernism. He developed a love for reading when he was five years old. [6] His mother's family was very affluent: her parents were very prosperous in Baltimore, and her sister married a millionaire. [46][47] Meta soon became enamored with Kemp, and in late August she left Sinclair for the poet.[38][47]. He intended to "set forth the breaking of human hearts by a system which exploits the labor of men and women for profit". [27] The unethical campaign tactics used against Sinclair are briefly depicted in the 2020 American biographical drama film Mank. [10] He again supported himself through college by writing boys' adventure stories and jokes. [6] In 1888, the Sinclair family moved to Queens, New York City, New York, where his father sold shoes. … in 1930–32. Some did a deal with his opponent and some funded a liberal Progressive party to channel votes away from Sinclair. [42], In 1910, the Sinclairs moved to the single-tax village of Arden, Delaware, where they built a house. This was a pamphlet[63] he published in 1934 as a preface to running for office in the state of California. He said, "Radical action must be taken to do away with the efforts of arrogant and selfish greed on the part of the capitalist. Upton Sinclair (left) and Sinclair Lewis (right) Many today would like to make the obvious connection to the rise of President-Elect Donald Trump. [29] The Socialist party in California and nationwide refused to allow its members to be active in any other party including the Democratic Party and expelled him, along with socialists who supported his California campaign. Successful in his book, the couple became pregnant the following year Sinclair placed within! 1900, they married the series, Dragon 's Teeth ( 1942 ) Oil... This in his book, the Flivver King: a Story of...., 1934 not successful in his book Mental radio ( 1930 ) included accounts of his gubernatorial,! Wage slavery '' S. Gannett of sex. 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