Labor and Urbanization Flashcards
Sherman Anti-Trust act 1890
passed to stop the forming of monopolies, but it was poorly worded and used. You weren’t allowed to have combinations, so unions can’t strike or protest to stop trains, and weakens Union strength.
Monopolies over laborers
Oaths and lockouts
Ironclad oaths, lockouts, yellow dog contracts, and black lists. People wouldn’t be allowed back into work, quickly replaced by somebody else. Had to sweat that they weren’t going to join a union. Organizers of unions won’t be allowed to work in cities.
National Labor Union 1866-1873
Organized for skilled and unskilled workers as well as rights for women and African Americans. They want more interest in legislature to pass better laborer work. They are able to get an 8 hour work day.
Molly Maquire’s 1870s
Irish Pennsylvania minors use intimidation and violence to get their way. Not all of them were like this, wanting better working conditions, shorter hours, and higher wages in the mines. 10 are hung after accusation of violence against a mine owner. Hesitance of the middle class to join them.
Knights of Labor 1869-1890s
Idealistic
Terrance Powderly and Mother Jones make an idealist organization wanting equal pay for woman and all workers. Want to abolish child labor, trusts, and monopolies.
Knights of Labor 1869-1890s
Haymarket Square Riot
A bomb goes off in a union meeting by anarchists, where one police man is killed. Creates a stigma of having anarchists in the union. Skilled workers don’t want to suffer for unskilled workers and don’t want to be lumped together since they’re not equal.
American Federation of Labor 1886-Present
Realistic confederation of skilled workers. They accept capitalism and work for better wages, tangible gains, better work hours and conditions, as well as closed shops where everybody in the factory works in that union, giving the owner a guaranteed work force.
Socialist Party 1897-1910s
In support of the farmers in the west. Intellectuals who see the idealistic view to work for the common good of all laborers, urban and city dwellers. Weakened by the debate over entering WWI
Industrial Workers of the World 1905-1910s
Big Bill Haywood and Mother Jones. Crossed many industries and joined them together to create one big union. Want to overthrow that government and have that one union run the country. Violent confrontation, distrusted by the skilled workers, wealthy, and middle class.
Strikes
Great Railroad Strike 1877
Panic of 73’ causes it. Railroads had to cut prices twice, but their homes still costed the same. Violence starts in west Virginia and halts rial road traffic. Millions of dollars worth of property is destroyed. Over 100 people died. Brought down by the Troops
Strikes
Homestead Strike 1892
Group of steel workers in Pennsylvania, complaining about working 12 hours a day and a 7 day week, working in horrible conditions under Carnagie. Carnagie and Frick make a lockout and hires 300 Pinkerton’s guards to find them, but the workers attack them. Anarchists stab and shoot Frick Twice
Strikes
pullman Strikes 1894, midst of economic panic
Pullman is a company town so workers must pay their rent to the company, but their wages get cut by 25%, but their houses prices weren’t. Eugene V. Debs organized the strike to refuse servicing Pullman cars. But they are then attached to mail cars, where its illegal to disrupt the mail. First instance of federal injunction.
Urbanization
Population triples
Industrialization puts out more jobs. Farm technology encourages people to leave the farms. Streetcars equal mass transportation. Dumbbell Tenements are 6 stories high, with 6 different residence on each floor. Some would fit their entire family in their room. Little circulation and created unsafe housing.
Urbanization
Downsides
People would throw their trash outside the window, not proper plumage or sewage. Poverty lived in the slums, crime growing in the region to support themselves. Pollution increases from plumage, and factory work.
