Labor Struggles - Week 3 Flashcards
gilded age (1870-1890)
looks valuable on the surface but is worthless as its core. expanded gaps between high and low class, made wage gaps evident, where labor laws started to form
in 1880, most Americans were in ________ jobs.
in 1890, 2/3 were in ____________ jobs, and started urbanization.
farming
manufacturing
the key to transformation was _____________
railroads!
the atlantic cable was invented in _____ and connected USA to Europe via telegraph
1866
__________ spread to Americans during this period. Telephones and handheld cameras were also invented.
electricity!
trust
legal device to eliminate competition. business affairs of many competing companies under management of one director
andrew carnegie
steel, founded library expansion
vertical integration
CARNEGIE, a single figure controls all aspects of production
john rockefeller
oil, funded education and medicine
horizontal expansion
ROCKEFELLER, process by which company adopts and controls competitors
henry lloyd and muckraking
investigative journalist that exposed the truths of these robber barons/captains of industry, “Wealth Against Common Wealth”
conspicuous consumption
purchasing things you don’t need to elevate your social status
during this time period, neighborhoods were visibly separated by ______ and ________
class, income
workers vs. reformers vs. policymaker views of freedom
workers: freedom blocked by their shitty job conditions and lack of economic independence
reformers: wealth is NOT an American value, so it’s not reflective of freedom
policymaker: gov’t advancing social needs would threaten individual freedoms
“negative” freedom
absence of restrictions on personal choices
Laws of Compliance
if you willfully sign a contract, the government shouldn’t intervene and workers shouldn’t complain
great railroad strike of 1877
nationwide support of striking WV railroad workers, some turned violent. belief that the government should protect property instead of individual rights, industrialists and republicans’ beliefs aligned
knights of labor (1869-1949)
inclusive to all but chinese, started with garment workers and expanded to create more bargaining force.
goals: higher wages, 8-hour workday, end child labor.
successful in 1884 Union Pacific railroad strike
unsuccessful afterwards bc of Haymarket Affair
haymarket affair (may 4th, 1887)
may 1; nationwide strike for 8-hour work day
may 3; workers were met with police violence
may 4; haymarket square in chicago, labor radicals protested the murders of the pervious day, then somebody throws a bomb at the cops, someone opens fire and chaos descends. 7 cops/1 civvie dead
8 men tried as anarchists in august 1887
increased xenophobia and lade the labor movements look dangerous and anti-american
