Post by aarthipopat on Jan 28, 2016 3:34:37 GMT
Aarthi Popat, Teresa Amor, Elizabeth McColloch, Dana Wilks, Caraline Albro
Prompt: How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.
Analysis of prompt:
-To what extent did the lives of workers improve because of organized labor?
-What events, people and ideas caused workers to achieve the level of success that they did?
-Identify and analyze labor union efforts and their effects on the workers’ economic situation
-1875 ─ The steady influx of immigrants expanded the labor force
-Workers were exploited due to the massive labor force, as unskilled workers were easily replaceable
-Exploitation of workers led to the development of labor unions, as unskilled workers realized they could better their standard of living by banding together
-1900 ─ beginning of the Progressive Era
Key Terms:
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Haymarket Riot 1886
Homestead Strike 1892, Pinkertons
Pullman Strike 1894
Knights of Labor 1860's-1890, Terence Powderly
American Federation of Labor 1886 Samuel Gompers
Molly Maguires – 1870’s
American Railway Union 1893-1895 Eugene V. Debs
I. Intro
The industrialization and subsequent urbanization in America led to the emergence of organized labor. As corporations grew, workers felt the need to band together in labor unions to combat bad working conditions and create better lives for themselves. As immigrants fled religious and political persecution, they arrived in the U.S. with the hope of taking any available work. The growth of an unskilled labor force and the introduction of capitalism contributed to the rise in Eastern corporations and intense competition, resulting in horrid working conditions. While organized labor was successful in attracting attention to poor conditions, workers failed to achieve substantial social or economic improvement.
II. Body 1
-Successes
-Workers brought attention to significant labor issues such as the long work day, arguing for an eight-hour day, which was later achieved for public works employees in 1868 and government employees in 1892.
-The Chinese Exclusion Act succeeded in getting Congress to limit immigration, thus protecting railroad and coal mining jobs for labor union workers.
-Workers helped contribute to state laws regarding safety standards, however, many were not enforced
III. Body 2
-Failures
-Molly Maguires
-Weakened the credibility of organized labor unions because of their brutal militant practices
-The government maintained support of corporations and the unwillingness to support labor unions
-the federal government assisted in dissipating the Great Railroad Strike, as well as the Pullman Strike
-Social Darwinism and Capitalist Society
-Americans emphasized individual success, people who deserved success would achieve it on their own
-Capitalist society favored individuality
-Unions failed to incorporate a large enough segment of society. Only 4% of all workers belonged to Unions, so not enough people were involved.
-Ethnic/racial tensions divided workers, weren’t able to work as a unified group. Many workers were too mobile to establish roots in one place. This problem also made unifying difficult.
IV. Conclusion
Ultimately, powerful corporations and government leaders suppressed the workers’ efforts to improve their overall position. While workers made a few legislative gains to improve their quality of life, overall, workers would fail to gain much power over their employers. In cities, political machines exerted their power over vulnerable workers, and used graft for their own gain. The concept of poor Americans going “rags to riches” was rare, and most laborers maintained their low status. It was not until the mid-1900s that labor unions gained enough power to make effective changes, many years after their initial efforts.
Prompt: How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.
Analysis of prompt:
-To what extent did the lives of workers improve because of organized labor?
-What events, people and ideas caused workers to achieve the level of success that they did?
-Identify and analyze labor union efforts and their effects on the workers’ economic situation
-1875 ─ The steady influx of immigrants expanded the labor force
-Workers were exploited due to the massive labor force, as unskilled workers were easily replaceable
-Exploitation of workers led to the development of labor unions, as unskilled workers realized they could better their standard of living by banding together
-1900 ─ beginning of the Progressive Era
Key Terms:
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Haymarket Riot 1886
Homestead Strike 1892, Pinkertons
Pullman Strike 1894
Knights of Labor 1860's-1890, Terence Powderly
American Federation of Labor 1886 Samuel Gompers
Molly Maguires – 1870’s
American Railway Union 1893-1895 Eugene V. Debs
I. Intro
The industrialization and subsequent urbanization in America led to the emergence of organized labor. As corporations grew, workers felt the need to band together in labor unions to combat bad working conditions and create better lives for themselves. As immigrants fled religious and political persecution, they arrived in the U.S. with the hope of taking any available work. The growth of an unskilled labor force and the introduction of capitalism contributed to the rise in Eastern corporations and intense competition, resulting in horrid working conditions. While organized labor was successful in attracting attention to poor conditions, workers failed to achieve substantial social or economic improvement.
II. Body 1
-Successes
-Workers brought attention to significant labor issues such as the long work day, arguing for an eight-hour day, which was later achieved for public works employees in 1868 and government employees in 1892.
-The Chinese Exclusion Act succeeded in getting Congress to limit immigration, thus protecting railroad and coal mining jobs for labor union workers.
-Workers helped contribute to state laws regarding safety standards, however, many were not enforced
III. Body 2
-Failures
-Molly Maguires
-Weakened the credibility of organized labor unions because of their brutal militant practices
-The government maintained support of corporations and the unwillingness to support labor unions
-the federal government assisted in dissipating the Great Railroad Strike, as well as the Pullman Strike
-Social Darwinism and Capitalist Society
-Americans emphasized individual success, people who deserved success would achieve it on their own
-Capitalist society favored individuality
-Unions failed to incorporate a large enough segment of society. Only 4% of all workers belonged to Unions, so not enough people were involved.
-Ethnic/racial tensions divided workers, weren’t able to work as a unified group. Many workers were too mobile to establish roots in one place. This problem also made unifying difficult.
IV. Conclusion
Ultimately, powerful corporations and government leaders suppressed the workers’ efforts to improve their overall position. While workers made a few legislative gains to improve their quality of life, overall, workers would fail to gain much power over their employers. In cities, political machines exerted their power over vulnerable workers, and used graft for their own gain. The concept of poor Americans going “rags to riches” was rare, and most laborers maintained their low status. It was not until the mid-1900s that labor unions gained enough power to make effective changes, many years after their initial efforts.