Labor Unions DBQ Essay

From 1875-1900, America was beginning to rise up from the increase in industrialization. However, dubbed “the gilded age” by Mark Twain, the thriving promise of a better , wealthier life in America was not as it seemed.When labor unions rose to change the harsh working conditions placed on workers, it seemed to be that they found little to no success. This was brought on by the little change that they made, the suffering and hardships they brought on themselves and others, and the little support they received from those around them. Although labor unions were able to change some conditions, most of those changes were minimal. For example, in a chart depicting the “Hours and Wages of Industrial Workers” (doc A), The average daily hours decreased

In a political cartoon by Thomas Nast, there is a suggestion that labor unions were wanting more and more than they already achieved from business owners, but not being able to get it. This is inferred from the union man looking shocked at the goose he had cut open moments before. With the caption “the goose that lays the golden egg” (doc C), the union man was looking for more golden eggs only to find none left. There is also a family in the background looking to be suffering due to the union man’s actions. It depicts that because the union man kept wanting more instead of accepting what he already had, he would then suffer for not having anything, like a job, and his family would suffer because now they had nothing to help them survive. This was exactly what was happening in the late 1800’s. For example, the Homestead strike of 1892, union workers went on strike for better working conditions instead of accepting their jobs, and when they turned around to come back, they found out that they had been replaced and were now out of a job. This again shifted labor unions progress backwards, making them unsuccessful once again. This might have been made as a message to the Labor Unions demonstrating that they should stop speaking out against their jobs because they could end up like the man who killed the goose. Nast’s view on these labor unions was probably negative due to the fact that he is telling them to stop what they’re doing, but also sympathetic as if he understands what they are trying to do, but knows it won’t work and is warning them of this. Labor unions were not just suffering because of outside factors, but also those on the inside as well. Frank Leslie’s political cartoon suggests that because all of the union groups are having different opinions and disagreeing, they will not find success. The cooks in the cartoon