NOTICE NOTICE These slides are provided to augment These slides are provided to augment

the lectures presented in Dr. Hatley’s the lectures presented in Dr. Hatley’s History 2493-US Since 1877 course. If History 2493-US Since 1877 course. If you miss class, you should not assume you miss class, you should not assume that merely perusing these will provide that merely perusing these will provide you with sufficient information to do well you with sufficient information to do well on examinations.on examinations.

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Millions of immigrants could find Millions of immigrants could find

employment.employment. Industrial work week: 1860—66 Industrial work week: 1860—66

hours; 1910—55 hours.hours; 1910—55 hours. Buying power and standard of Buying power and standard of

living increased for most living increased for most Americans. Prices dropped for all Americans. Prices dropped for all industrial and consumer goods.industrial and consumer goods.

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Average real wage increases: Average real wage increases: 1860—1890 50%; 1890—1914 1860—1890 50%; 1890—1914

37%37% The downside of industrial The downside of industrial

workwork:: Poor heath and safety Poor heath and safety

conditionsconditions No employer liabilityNo employer liability

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Widespread use of women Widespread use of women

and childrenand children The new industrial age added The new industrial age added

monotony and mindless monotony and mindless repetitionrepetition

Consequently, labor tried to Consequently, labor tried to organize itself throughout the organize itself throughout the late Nineteenth Centurylate Nineteenth Century

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement National Labor UnionNational Labor Union (1866) (1866) (1) eight-hour workday (1) eight-hour workday (2) workers’ cooperatives(2) workers’ cooperatives Knights of LaborKnights of Labor (1869) (1869) (1) eight-hour workday (1) eight-hour workday (2) workers’ cooperatives(2) workers’ cooperatives

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement (3) worker-owned factories(3) worker-owned factories (4) free homesteads(4) free homesteads (5) increased circulation of (5) increased circulation of

greenbacksgreenbacks (6) equal pay for both sexes(6) equal pay for both sexes (7) political activism(7) political activism

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Under Under

Terrence V. Terrence V. Powderly, Powderly, membership in membership in the K of L grew the K of L grew to 700,000 by to 700,000 by 1886. Why ?1886. Why ?

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement (1) Successful strikes against (1) Successful strikes against

small railroads between 1882 small railroads between 1882 and 1886 and 1886

(2) Federal Bureau of Labor (2) Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics; Foran Act (1885Statistics; Foran Act (1885))

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement K of L began a fatal decline in K of L began a fatal decline in

1886. Why?1886. Why? (1) Cooperatives a financial (1) Cooperatives a financial

failurefailure (2) Powderly preoccupied with (2) Powderly preoccupied with

political activism and political activism and combative and confrontational combative and confrontational with managementwith management

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement (3) The Haymarket Affair (1886)(3) The Haymarket Affair (1886) Workers at McCormick Workers at McCormick

Harvesting Machine Company, Harvesting Machine Company, Chicago, Illinois joined a nation-Chicago, Illinois joined a nation-wide strike for the eight-hour wide strike for the eight-hour workday (1 May 1886)workday (1 May 1886)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Some Some

workers workers killed, others killed, others injured in injured in clash with clash with police at police at McCormick McCormick (3 May 1886)(3 May 1886)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Anarchists Anarchists

planned to hold a planned to hold a protest rally at protest rally at Haymarket Square Haymarket Square (4 May)(4 May)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Johann Most Johann Most

(1846-1906)(1846-1906)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Science of Revolutionary Warfare: Science of Revolutionary Warfare:

A Handbook of Instruction A Handbook of Instruction Regarding the Use and Regarding the Use and Manufacture of Nitroglycerine, Manufacture of Nitroglycerine, Dynamite, Gun-Cotton, Dynamite, Gun-Cotton, Fulminating Mercury, Bombs, Fulminating Mercury, Bombs, Arsons, Poisons, Etc., Etc. Arsons, Poisons, Etc., Etc. (New (New York, 1885)York, 1885)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement

Police arrived, Police arrived, someone someone threw a threw a bomb, and bomb, and police police returned firereturned fire

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Violence Violence

convinced many convinced many Americans that Americans that unions were unions were criminal criminal organizationsorganizations

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement The American The American

Federation of Federation of Labor (1886)Labor (1886)

Samuel Samuel Gompers Gompers (1850-1924)(1850-1924)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement How did Gompers attempt to How did Gompers attempt to

help the worker?help the worker? (1) catered to the skilled worker(1) catered to the skilled worker (2) represented workers in (2) represented workers in

matters of national legislationmatters of national legislation (3) maintained a national strike (3) maintained a national strike

fundfund

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement (4) Evangelized the cause of (4) Evangelized the cause of

unionismunionism (5) prevented disputes among (5) prevented disputes among

the many craft unionsthe many craft unions (6) mediated disputes between (6) mediated disputes between

management and labormanagement and labor (7) closed shop(7) closed shop

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Great Railroad Strike (1877)Great Railroad Strike (1877) Immediate cause: wage cutsImmediate cause: wage cuts Baltimore, Maryland and Baltimore, Maryland and

Martinsburg, West VirginiaMartinsburg, West Virginia walkouts and sympathy walkouts and sympathy

demonstrations spreaddemonstrations spread Pittsburgh militia; PhiladelphiaPittsburgh militia; Philadelphia

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement

Homestead Steel Strike Homestead Steel Strike (1892)(1892)

Amalgamated Association of Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel WorkersIron and Steel Workers

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Henry Clay Frick Henry Clay Frick

(1849-1919) (1849-1919) Pinkerton Pinkerton

DetectivesDetectives

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement

Alexander Alexander Berkman Berkman (1870-1936)(1870-1936)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement The Pullman The Pullman

Strike (1894)Strike (1894) Pullman Palace Pullman Palace

Car Co. Pullman, Car Co. Pullman, IL. IL.

George M. George M. Pullman (1831-Pullman (1831-1897)1897)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement President President

Grover Grover Cleveland (D) Cleveland (D) (1837-1908) (1837-1908) (1885-1889) (1885-1889) (1893-1897)(1893-1897)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement

US Attorney US Attorney General General Richard Olney Richard Olney (1835- (1835-1917)1917)

The Labor MovementThe Labor Movement Illinois Governor Illinois Governor

John Peter Altgeld John Peter Altgeld (D) (1847-1902) (D) (1847-1902) (1893-1897) (1893-1897)