Chapter 6 section 4
Chapter 6 section 4
The Rise of Labor Unions
The National Trades Union
The Great Strikes
The Great RR Strike of 1877
The National Labor Union
The Knights of Labor
The Haymarket Square Riot
The Homestead Strike
The American Federation of Labor
The Industrial Workers of the World
The Pullman Strike
Chapter 6 section 4
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
What impact did industrialization have on the gulf between rich and
poor?
What were the goals of the early labor unions in the United States?
Why did Eugene V. Debs organize the American Railway Union?
What were the causes and outcomes of the major strikes in the late
1800s?
THE BIG IDEA
In the late 1800s, workers organized labor unions
to improve their wages and working conditions.
Chapter 6 section 4
KEY TERMS:
KEY PEOPLE:
1. Socialism
2. National Trades Union
3. Collective Bargaining
4. “closed shop”
5. “yellow dog” contracts
6. The American Railway Union
7. Scabs
8. Anarchists
1. Eugene V. Debs
2. Pinkertons
How did poor families respond to the unequal
distribution of wealth between rich and poor?
How did poor families respond to the unequal
distribution of wealth between rich and poor?
Some suffered
in silence,
tomorrow
would be
better.
Others became
politically active to
try to improve their
lives.
A few were drawn
to the idea of
socialism
Definition of Socialism –
Explain the Socialist view of wealth.
a.
b.
Definition of Socialism – is an economic and political philosophy that
favors public instead of private control of property and income.
Explain the Socialist view of wealth.
a. They believe that society at large, not just private individuals,
should take charge of a nation’s wealth.
b. That wealth should be distributed equally to everyone.
Explain how each of the following responded to socialism.
Most
Workers
Most Americans
Wealthy
Americans
Politicians
Explain how each of the following responded to socialism.
Most Americans
Opposed
socialism
Wealthy
Americans
Saw it as a threat
to their fortunes
Most
Workers
Saw it as a threat
to American ideas
of private property,
free enterprise, &
Politicians
Saw it as a threat individual liberty
to public order
The Rise of Labor Unions
The Knights
Of Labor
Year
Formed
Organized/
Membership
Leader
Goal(s)
Tactics
Lost
Support
The American
Industrial Workers
Federation of Labor
Of The World
The Rise of Labor Unions
The Knights
Of Labor
Year
Formed
1869 - Philadelphia
men, women, skilled
Organized/ & unskilled, farmers
Membership & factory workers
African Americans
Leader
Goal(s)
Tactics
Lost
Support
Terence Powderly
The American
Federation of Labor
1886
Industrial Workers
Of The World
1905 Chicago
Craft union. only skilled
Workers. No Women.
African Americans
not welcomed.
Unskilled workers,
Women, immigrants
African Americans
Samuel Gompers
Big Bill Haywood
Promote worker
broad social reforms Workers’ wages, hours,
solidarity, end the wage
equal pay for equal and working conditions.
work 8 hr. workday, Bread-and-butter unionism system, over throw
the employing class
end child labor
Not to strike
political activity &
education.
Failed strikes, some
of them violent.
Economic pressure –
Strikes and boycotts
Strikes, boycotts,
and violence
Violent strikes &
promoting strikes
during war.
Industrialization caused great inequalities in wealth in the late 19th century.
Big business owners grew wealthy while workers toiled for low wages.
1. How did workers try to improve their wages and working
conditions?
2.
Explain why you think workers resented the wealth of business
owners.
3.
Early labor unions began by providing help for their members in
bad times, but soon became the means for expressing workers’
demands to employers. What were these early demands?
Industrialization caused great inequalities in wealth in the late 19th century.
Big business owners grew wealthy while workers toiled for low wages.
1. How did workers try to improve their wages and working
conditions?
Some became socialists or anarchists. Far more workers chose to
work within the system by forming labor unions.
2.
Explain why you think workers resented the wealth of business
owners.
Answers will vary. The gulf between rich and poor. The unequal
distribution of wealth created a wide gulf in the standard of living
between the industrialists and working class.
3.
Early labor unions began by providing help for their members in
bad times, but soon became the means for expressing workers’
demands to employers. What were these early demands?
Shorter workdays, higher wages, and better working conditions.
4.
Explain how socialism and labor unions were different
approaches to solving the problems of workers.
5.
Explain how socialism and anarchism promised to improve
workers’ lives but ran counter to some American ideals.
6.
What did labor unions do to address workers’ problems?
4.
Explain how socialism and labor unions were different
approaches to solving the problems of workers.
Socialists hoped to see all Americans share equally in the nation’s wealth.
The labor movement worked mostly within the free market system,
attempting to attain fair treatment for workers and owners.
5.
6.
Explain how socialism and anarchism promised to improve
workers’ lives but ran counter to some American ideals.
Socialism and anarchism believed that society at large, not just private
individuals, should take charge of a nation’s wealth. They believed
that people should cooperate, not compete, in producing goods.
These beliefs are in stark contrast to the American ideals of private
property, free enterprise, and individual liberty.
What did labor unions do to address workers’ problems?
Try to help their members through political activity, education, and
Economic pressure, such as strikes and boycotts.
7.
Describe the public reaction to the strikes.
8.
What steps did employers take to fight labor unions?
9.
What pattern of events did the Pullman Strike set in motion?
7.
Describe the public reaction to the strikes.
The American public came to associate unions in general
with violence and radical ideas. They would not support the
Violent activities of unions.
8.
What steps did employers take to fight labor unions?
Lockout
a. They disallowed union meetings
blacklist
b. Fired union organizers
c. Forced new employees to sign yellow dog contracts
d. Refused to bargain collectively or recognize unions as workers’
legitimate representatives.
9.
What pattern of events did the Pullman Strike set in motion?
In the years ahead, factory owners appealed frequently for court orders
against unions. The federal gov’t regularly approved these appeals,
denying unions recognition as legally protected organizations.
This limited union gains for more than 30 years.
Strikes Rock The Nation
Haymarket
Riot
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
Homestead
Strike
Pullman
Strike
Haymarket
Riot
Strikes Rock The Nation
Groups of striking workers,
Who Scabs, anarchists, policeofficers
A fight between strikers &
What Scabs. Police caused
injuries. Protest, bomb,
gun fire, deaths
When May 1st – May 4th 1886
Homestead
Strike
Striking Carnegie steel
workers, Henry Frick,
Pinkertons
Cut wages, strike,
Pinkertons try to break
the strike, gun fire,
deaths
July 1 – Nov. 20, 1892
Chicago’s McCormick
Carnegie Steel Plant
Where Reaper factory & Chicago’s
Homestead, PA
Haymarket Square
Why
A national demonstration
for an 8hr. Workday
A protest rally.
How
Someone threw a bomb
into a police formation
Wage cuts and the
Pinkertons
Frick wanted to defeat
the union. Hired the
Pinkertons.
Pullman
Strike
George Pullman, striking
workers, A.R.U. Debbs,
Att. Gen. Olney, President
Cleveland, fed. troops
Depression 1893, laid off
workers, cut wages, fired
workers, boycott, fed.
troops sent
May 1894 - July 1894
Chicago, a boycott of
Pullman cars throughout
the country.
Laid off workers, cut
wages, fired workers,
striking workers, Sherman
Antitrust Act, fed. troops
The strike interfered with
the nation’s mail
Homestead Steel Strike-1892
15:01
10. Why do you think the federal government was friendly to the
industrialists even when much of the public did not support
them?
11. How did the emergence of beliefs in social Darwinism and/or
socialism reflect the new challenges facing American society in
the late 1800s?
12. What challenges did labor unions have to overcome in order to
achieve their main goals?
10. Why do you think the federal government was friendly to the
industrialists even when much of the public did not support
them?
Because of their contributions to the rising wealth of the country and
the political power/influence wielded by many of the industrialists.
11. How did the emergence of beliefs in social Darwinism and/or
socialism reflect the new challenges facing American society in
the late 1800s?
Social Darwinism reflected free enterprise and laissez faire.
Socialism emphasized the problems of wealth and the desire for its equal
distribution to all, preserving the greater good rather than individual success.
12. What challenges did labor unions have to overcome in order to
achieve their main goals?
a. They had to overcome their differences in order to remain united;
b. Deal with hostile employers who attempted to stop all union activity;
c. Face disapproval by the federal government.
As a team, discuss the following question and be ready to share
your answer with the class.
How successful were labor unions at the end of the century?
Labor unions had only limited success at that time. They brought many
of labor’s pressing issues to light, but often met with violence and
government opposition during strikes.
The Great Railroad Strike
of 1877