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The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age. The Organization of Labor. Essential Question : How did workers & the U.S. government respond to the rapid changes of industrialization during the Gilded Age?. Changes of the Gilded Age. During the Gilded Age (1870-1900), the U.S. industrialized rapidly:

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The Gilded Age

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  1. The Gilded Age The Organization of Labor

  2. Essential Question:How did workers & the U.S. government respond to the rapid changes of industrialization during the Gilded Age?

  3. Changes of the Gilded Age • During the Gilded Age (1870-1900), the U.S. industrialized rapidly: • New technology led to a boom in railroads, oil, steel, electricity • Trusts, corporate mergers, & new business leaders led to monopolies • Mass immigration from Southern & Eastern Europe increased the size of American cities • But, problems during the Gilded Age led to demands for change

  4. The Changing American Labor Force

  5. Group Activity:Gilded Age Theme Analysis • Students will examine a series of three primary sources from the Gilded Age: • For each image, provide a one sentence summary of the image • Once all three images are revealed, determine how the images are related—What’s the theme?

  6. Theme #1—Image A

  7. Theme #1—Image B

  8. Theme #1—Image C

  9. Theme #1: Labor Unions • Industrial work was hard: • 12 hour days, 6 days per week • Received low wages; No sick leave or injury compensation • Industrial work was unskilled, dangerous, & monotonous • These bad conditions led to the growth of labor unions -- groups that demanded better pay & conditions through collective bargaining

  10. Theme #1: Labor Unions Two Labor Union (types) 1) Trade Unions (skilled) • Limited to people with similar skills Vs. • 2) Common Laborers • (unskilled) • workers w/ little to no skills (paid less)

  11. Theme #1: Labor Unions Industrial Unions The unification of all trade unions and common laborers. Opposed by business interests.

  12. Knights of Labor • first major union founded in 1869 • demanded sweeping reforms: • Equal pay for women • An end to child labor • 8 hour work day • claimed a substantial membership • Women • African Americans • immigrants

  13. American Federation of Labor (AFL) • Samuel Gompers, creates union catered exclusively to skilled laborers and focused on smaller, more practical issues: • Increasing wages • Reducing hours • Imposing safety measures. • Pushed for closed shops • Company could only hire union workers

  14. Theme #1: Labor Unions • Some people turned to socialism: government control of business and property, equal distribution of wealth • Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, called the “Wobblies”) formed in 1905 • Socialism seemed appealing to some Americans, but never became a major option for workers • By 1900, only 4% of all workers were unionized

  15. Theme #2—Image A

  16. Theme #2 —Image B

  17. Theme #2—Image C

  18. Theme #2: Strikes & Labor Unrest • One of the tactics used by unions to gain better pay was to strike: • Strikes were designed to stop production in order to gain pay

  19. Theme #2: Strikes & Labor Unrest Business Opposition • Blacklists • union organizers put on do not hire lists • Lockouts • when union formed, business locks out workers • Strikebreakers (scabs) • replacement workers

  20. The Corporate “Bully-Boys”: PinkertonAgents • Some business firms hired private police companies to deal w/ strikers • In some cases, violence broke out

  21. Theme #2: Strikes & Labor Unrest During the Chicago Haymarket Strike (1886), unionists demanded an 8-hr day; When violence broke out, public opinion turned against unions, viewing them as violent & “un-American”

  22. Theme #2: Strikes & Labor Unrest Violence erupted during the Homestead Strike (1892) at one of Carnegie’s steel plants; Federal troops were called to re-open the place with replacement workers Steelworkers did not form a new union for 40 years

  23. Theme #2: Strikes & Labor Unrest In 1894, Eugene Debs led railroad workers on a national strike when the Pullman Palace Car Company cut wages by 50% President Cleveland sent the army to end the strike; Strikers in 27 states resisted U.S. troops & dozens died

  24. Management vs. Labor “Tools” of Management “Tools” of Labor • “scabs” • P. R. campaign • Pinkertons • lockout • Blacklisting • open shop • boycotts • sympathy demonstrations • informational picketing • closed shops • organized strikes • “wildcat” strikes

  25. The Great U.S. FEAR: The Hand That Will Rule the World One Big Union

  26. A “CompanyTown”:Pullman, IL

  27. Child Labor

  28. Child Labor

  29. After viewing the photos of child labor, why do you think this image is called “Galley Labor?”

  30. Organized Labor Loses Strength • The Supreme Court later upheld the use of injunctions against labor unions, giving businesses a powerful new weapon to suppress strikes.

  31. Organized Labor Loses Strength • Lochner v. New York (1905) Supreme Court ruled 60-hour work week limit unconstitutional • Freedom of Contract • Organized labor began to fade in strength, and did not resurge until the 1930s

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