Chapter 28

1. Chapter 28 We Who Built America: Working People, 1860-1890

2. A New Way of Life • Industrial America • Big businessmen lead growth • Labor does the actual work • Working class grows faster than population • Factories and technology • Larger factories; fewer personal relations • More dependence on machines • Fewer skilled workers • Poor pay, conditions

3. A New Way of Life (cont.’d) • Wages • Actual wages decline • Real wages rise • Skilled workers make more • Unskilled workers often in poverty • Hours • Government employees: 8 hour days • Skilled workers: 10 hour days • Unskilled workers: 12+ hour days • Frequent layoffs due to business cycle

4. A New Way of Life (cont.’d) • Conditions • Large number of industrial accidents • Little to no compensation when hurt • Courts favor employers • Occupational diseases not employer’s responsibility

5. Who Were the Workers? • Workers • Skilled workers: native-born white males • Unskilled workers: children, women, immigrants • Child labor • 1900: 1.8 million children work full time • Children do all but heaviest jobs • Many children in tenement sweatshops • Children receive lower pay • Women workers • First industrial workers female • Heavy labor favors male employees • Women need wages for families • Women receive lower wages

6. Who Were the Workers? (cont.’d) • Black workers • Most industrial workers white • African Americans mainly in South • African Americans mainly on farms • African Americans also servants

7. Organize! • Need to organize • Most workers accept conditions to keep jobs • High absenteeism • Sometimes workers use sabotage

8. Organize!(cont.’d) • History of Industrial violence • Molly McGuires in coal mines • Pinkerton Detectives combat organizers • Violent strikes common • 1877 railroad strike led to pitched battles • 1892 Homestead Strike led to siege • 1894 Pullman strike led to property destruction • American Railroad Union • Eugene Debs • Unions gaining strength • Initially just local trade unions • 1866: National Labor Union • NLU started by William Sylvis • Focuses on political action, fails

9. Organize! (cont.’d) • Knights of Labor • Uriah P. Stephens starts organization • First a secret organization with Masonic undertones • Welcomes all workers • Masonic undertones repel Irish Catholic workers • Terence Powderly • New leader of Knights of Labor • Drops secrecy, Masonic undertones • Knights grows rapidly, has successful strikes • Haymarket riot creates negative association; Knights fail

10. Organize! (cont.’d) • Samuel Gompers and the AFL • 1886: Gompers starts American Federation of Labor • Includes only skilled workers • Focuses on basic issues • Prefers negotiations to strikes • AFL continues to grow • Employers still hostile to unions • Bosses found counter-organization • A few accept the reality of unions

11. Nation of Immigrants • Immigration • Always a part of U.S. • Grows in late 19th century • More from Southern Europe, Asia • Industrialists need laborers • Pay fares in return for labor contracts • Immigrants tend to be cheap, docile workers • Immigrants asset to growing economy • Birth pains of a world economy • Industrialization causes population growth • Cannot compete with cheap American food • Leads many to immigrate to America • Promoting immigration • Advertising • Mostly men and often temporary

12. Old Immigrants • The Irish • Immigration continues from British Isles • Irish Catholics often suffer discrimination • Irish Catholics quickly adapt • Irish Catholics become formidable political force • Chinese immigration begins with Gold Rush • Chinese keep to themselves • Chinese labor needed to build railroads, etc. • Economy takes downward turn • American blame joblessness on Chinese • Denis Kearney leads anti-Chinese movement • Congress passes Chinese Exclusion Act 1882

13. Old Immigrants (cont.’d) • Germans come for political reasons • More Americans have German ancestry than English • Have money to set up farms • Bring their culture to new world • Scandinavians • Also farmers • Northern Europeans prosper in New World • Adapt quickly • Bring their own culture

14. Old Immigrants (cont.’d) • Sephardic and German Jews • Small groups present little threat • Quickly adapt to American life • Reform Judaism • Often successful businessmen • Cling to their religious heritage • New Jewish immigration • Post-1880 immigrants tend to be poor, illiterate, peasants • Orthodox • Fast pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe • Little in past life prepares them for industrial, urban U.S.

15. Discussion Questions • What were conditions of the workers like in the late industrial period of the 1800s? • How were conditions different for women and child workers in industry in this period? • Who were Terrance Powderly and Samuel Gompers? Why did the Knights of Labor fail, while the AFL succeeded? • Examine immigration into the United States during the industrial period. Why were some immigrants able to eventually thrive, while others faced a constant struggle?