The Voice Of Southern Labor Chapter Summary

In the article, “The Craftsmen’s Spectacle: Labour Day Parades in Canada, the Early Years,” by Craig Heron and Steve Penfold, the main topic was about the changes during the first and second industrial revolution in regards to the structure of the Labor Day celebrations and what that meant toward the workers’ movement itself. Throughout the article, Heron and Penfold discuss the importance of the parade procession on the national holiday and what certain symbols, banners, uniforms, and events meant toward the workers’ movement and what they strove to prove to the public. The creation of Labor Day was to be a celebratory holiday for workers’ movements throughout North America, to publically show solidarity together over the importance of wage-earners

The Haymarket affair is one most important events in Chicago’s labor protest is questionably still unknown to many of high school kids and down. At this mark in Chicago history several horrifying, and great events happened. Industrial workers were getting fed up with the intense hours and wanted change from their shady bosses. People associated with all the industrial works started to arrange private meeting to talk about what’s wrong within the industries. Soon several of the bosses found out about these meeting and paid the police to eliminate these meetings.

The economic elements of 1861-1865 were very different for the North and the South. The North was doing very well, compared to the South. In the North they had to lay-off many workers and close down the textile industries because of the scarcity of cotton. However, the “arms, metalworking, boot making, and shipbuilding industries” were booming in the North (Keene, 391). The wages of the workers rose by about 40 percent, but the prices of goods rose at the same pace as the inflation rate averaged about 15 percent annually (Keene, 391).

Sam Patch worked hard to get the title he once had, being a factory hand in the 1820’s helped him become America's first daredevil. He started from rock bottom as a delivery boy and ended up becoming a celebrity. In the Industrialization factory time Sam Patch helped shape America by freedom and equality rights during the Early Republic period (1800-1837). Industrialization was common for transforming agricultural society into manufacturing goods. “ Thus Americans, said the promoters, they could enjoy domestic manufactures without damaging agriculture”.

Haymarket Riot There have been many strikes and movements for better working conditions as well as many unions formed throughout history. These events took place because of people who were not afraid to stand up and fight for what they believed in and the rights they deserved as Americans. One example of this was the Haymarket Riot which took place on May 4, 1886 this riot played a key role in the movement in better working conditions and unions. The Haymarket Riot was a riot that took place at Haymarket Square in Chicago.

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.

The working class had no choice but to labor long hours for low wages in conditions that were unregulated and hazardous. Child labor was also very common, so were accidents and death. The United States of Labor site quoted The Factory Inspector, an unofficial journal of the Inter­national Association of Factory Inspectors that frequently published accounts collected by state labor bureaus of industrial accidents, that shows how bad these conditions

The workers had bad conditions in the factories. According to document 1 workers in factories had to work from 5AM to 9PM with a 40 minute lunch break and some of them started at young ages. Some entire families had to work to buy food which meant kids also had to work. Kids had less than 8 hours break which meant they didn’t get enough sleep even if they fell asleep right as they get home from work. Even worse, they spent the 16 hours every day in dangerous conditions.

The Reconstruction era has ended and Americans are seeking a way to reach the American dream. With the gold rush leading the way, a significant amount of Americans wanted to reach the top, and many of them started large monopolies. The Gilded Age is an era that can be described as America’s greatest era, but the reality is dark. Corporations were taking advantage of the nation’s increasing economy, and the most affected were the people. The industrialist was able to amass tremendous wealth by exploiting the people, justifying their actions with social Darwinism and the government’s protection, which promotes social class divisions.

*Pullman Strike * The Pullman Strike was widespread by the United States railroad workers, approximately a quarter-million worker were on strike at the peak and it impacted the expedition the railroad system across the states. The strike between the American Railway Union and George Pullman changed the course of future strikes when President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to break up the strikers; its influenced how the federal government and the court system would handle labor issues. The labor issues during the Pullman Strike were not limited that of rights of the workers, the role of management in the workers private life, and the roles of government resolving labor conflicts. Pullman planned communities for his workers how he determined

Erika Smith Webber per. 1 11/1/15 The Labor Movement Despite the fact that grueling conditions of labor has declined in comparison to the 1800’s the labor movement made a huge impact on the perilous amounts of labor because it contributed to the fixing of harsh work conditions, low pay, and the very long work shifts. From the 1700’s to the 1800’s workers had to endure unjust working conditions such as low pay, unsafe working environments and long hours this caused the labor movement.

In a time when America was coming out of the bloodiest war that was ever fought, against themselves, The Civil War, and when America looked overseas for a new frontier with Imperialism. It is in this context that America started to grow westward with farm land and in industry with the million of workers, but America still felt growing pains. Two significant ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900) were the formation of organizations to protect farmers, and the creation of labor unions and the use of strikes to protect the workers. One significant way in which farmers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865 - 1900) was the formation of organizations to protect farmers. During Westward Expansion farmers fell victims to the low pricing of the crops.

Profits for the farmers were getting smaller and smaller due to the increase in prices for the goods to be sold. These farmers believed in many different things- they believed in rules and regulations for the road (which included the fact that the government should control the railroad), lower tariffs, and that money should be based off of silver standard. For the industrial workers, their working conditions were not ideal. Each worker did not get paid nearly enough to support them and their families, even though they worked ten plus hour days, six days a week. Workers were not paid for sick days or injury.

“Attempting to liberate the oppressed without their reflective participation in the act of liberation is to treat them as objects that must be saved from a burning building.” – Paulo Freire. Quotes by Paulo Freire, From Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2015) Retrieved from http://www.freire.org/paulo-freire/quotes-by-paulo-freire Before the 1909 strike where more than 20,000 garment shirtwaist makers in New York City walked out to picket for better wages and improved working conditions, there was the mill girls’ who worked in the textile mills industry centered in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1834, faced with increased competition in the textile mill business and declining profits to their mills, mill owners decided to pass on their misfortune by imposing

The document of “The Railway Army of 1894”, focuses on management of industries. Subordination allows managers to observe how well employees follow instruction. It is comparable to the saying “when I say jump, you say how high”. If the employees pursue this method, they would be the strongest industry. In fact, Marshall M. Kirkman writes “labor, to exist at all, must act in harmony with those who give it employment, and in due subordination to the interest of society as a whole” (Johnson, 43), meaning, employees and employers must work respectfully amongst each other, in order to create a harmonious environment.