Who authored The Shame of the Cities?

• A. Andrew Carnegie
• B. Lincoln Steffens
• C. Jane Addams
• D. Woodrow Wilson

Answer: (B)

Knowing who wrote The Shame of the Cities is the focus here. This work is a landmark in muckraking journalism from the Progressive Era, published in 1904 by Lincoln Steffens. Steffens traveled across American cities to uncover how political machines and business interests corrupt city governments, aiming to shake public awareness and push for reforms. That direct, investigative approach and his role as a newspaper and magazine journalist define why he is the author of this book.

The other names were influential in the broader reform movement but did not write this collection. Andrew Carnegie was a steel magnate known for discussions of wealth and philanthropy, Jane Addams was a social reformer who founded Hull House, and Woodrow Wilson was a scholar and politician whose work focused on government and reform in different contexts.