E.

Q: Why did the US shift to an industrial economy, and what impact did this change
have on society?

Warm-Up:
-The Economy Shifts
-old agrarian economy becomes more industrialized
-machines + factories replaced skilled crafte workers who made products by
hand
-shift known as the Industrial Revolution (IR)
-Mass Production
-factories started creating goods using mass prod.
~mass prod.: system of manuf. where machines rapidly prod. large
amounts of goods
-decreased need for skilled workers
-began in textile industry (forefront of indust.)
-Lower Cost + More Prod. = Econ. Growth
~unskilled workers became incr. important
~wages declined
~Costs of making goods declined
~goods could also be shipped further
~result: economic growth

Lesson One:A New Revolution

-Causes of the 2nd Indust. Rev.

~dev. of new tech
~new business models
~exp. of railroads
-New Technologies
~Bessemer process (IMPORTANT)
-method of steel prod.
-enabled inexpensive prod. of steel
~new machinery
~electricity
~new comms. tech.
-New Business Models
~Businesses formed corporations
-owners not personally liable if comp. goes bankrupt
-ownership det. by sale of stock
-complex organizations w/ pwrful leaders
~1860: 140,433 companies created
~1900: 207,514 companies created
Banking and Finance

-Banking+finance indust. grew in importance

~corps sold stock to investors
~comp. grew larger
~more office + managerial positions were created
~middle class grew
J.P. Morgan (1837-1913)
~pwrful corp. financial + banker
~arranged huge corp mergers
~used wealth to help shore up and spur the US economy in hard econ
Railroads Link the Nation
~The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869
~People could travel from New York to San Francisco in eight days
~Goods could be shipped more quickly and less expensively
~The prive of goods decreased, increasing the size of markets
Railroad Mileage Increases
 ~Transcontinental Railroad rep. only small amount of mileage added to U.S
railroad networks
after the Civil War
~growth of railway = raw materials + manuf. goods could be shipped more
cheaply + quickly
~size + reach of markets for goods was expanding
-coincided w/ westward expansion; loads of Amer.'s population moved to
western areas
to take adv. of farming, ranching, mining, and the land availability
-resulted in major economic growth
~West had largest amount of railroad mileage
Raw Maters. to Finished Prods.
~Natural Resources
-raw materials shipped to factory
~Factories
-raw maters. -> manuf. goods
~Markets
-goods shipped to markets throughout U.S
The Impact of Railway Expansion
~railroads enticed people westward
~white settlers forced Amer. Indians off land
~Cattle ranching + mining increased in West
~sig. environ. effects resulted
Economic Growth
~during the Gilded Age, econ grew faster than at any time in U.S history
~From 1800-1900:
-prod. of iron + steel incr. more than 800%
-value of manuf. goods incr. to over $13 billion a year
-the US passed Brit. to become world's largest producer
A Growing Population
~At the end of CW, population of U.S was 35 mil.
~By 1900, pop. incr. to over 80 million
Immigration
~Twenty-five mil. people immigrated to the U.S between 1870 and 1916
-came for jobs in factories
-settled in cities
Urbanization
~people moved from rural areas to urban ones during Gilded Age
~many corps, businesses, and factories were lacated in urban centers
~new building tech helped cities to grow

Essential Question: How did the development of railroads lead to the growth of
other indutst. in the U.S?

Warm Up:
Tracks That Changed America
-New innovations in history
~Railroad especially
-Goods got from one place -> another w/ railroad
~Railroad changed the ways of business in America
Growth of US Railroads, 1850-1890
~U.S had more than 9000 miles of railroad tracks by 1850
-All east of the Mississippi River
~Long-distance travel involved changing from trains -> riverboats or lake
steamships
-Also took stagecoaches between different railroad lines
~Rail mileage more than tripled to 30,626 miles between 1850-60
-tracks finally ext. west of the Mis. River
~railway dev. stopped temporarily bc CW
 ~over time, rail network -> 52,922 miles
~heaviest dev. happened in Mississ. + Missour. valleys
~first transcontinental rail service built May 10, 1869
-Union Pacific: from Council Bluffs, Iowa -> Promontory Summit, Utah
-connects to Central Pacific: extends eastward from San Fran., CA
~U.S rail network grew to 93,267 miles by 1880
-every state + terr. had rail transport by this point
-second rail line to west coast nearly finished
-other transcontinental railways started to pop up as well
~new industs. + agr. thrived
~btwn. 1880-90 railroad companies added more than 70,300 miles of new rail
lines
-rail network was now extended to 163,597 miles, inclluding several
transcontinental lines
-population quadrupled at the same time

Lesson Two: New American Industries

Standardizing Time
~four time zones for continental U.S
-from West to East: Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern
-also Alaskan + Hawaiian time
~time zones -> official systen in 1918 when Cong. passed Standard Time Act
-created to help coordinate the train schedules
~railroads grew to bigger problem aside from time problem

Standardizing Railways
~companies created their rails differently
~standardized rails meant that building rails became the same distance apart
companies were now able to use each other's tracks, making train travel
from coast to coast easier
Trains became safer...
~inventors found ways to improve the trains
-made trains more safe + attractive to use
~before: trains were stopped w/ hand operated brakes, if human error ocurred,
train could crash
~1869: inventor named George Westinghouse created set of brakes that operated
automatically (air brakes)
-made stopping train safer (eventually laws required for air brakes to
be used in trains
~before: old systens of connecting train cars together -> unsafe (too easy
for workers to be crushed/injured when pushing the metal carts together while in
motion
~1873: Eli Janney pantented new way of connecting rail cars (knuckle coupler)
-allowed for cars to automatically connect as they were being pushed
together (safer + easier)
...and more versatile
~before: overnight train travel -> sleep on the seat (usually only a long
wooden bench)
~1865: George Pullman started comp. to build new type of rail car where
people could sleep in more comfortably
-car had fold-down beds
~trains also carried food (however it could spoil easily)
~1877: Gustavus Swift began to use refrigerator cars built to keep its
contents cool
-allowed Amers. to send meats + other foods over long dist.
Transporting Raw Materials
~U.S was rich in natural resources in 1800s
~these resources were spread out across the country
 -deposits of mineral resources were ofthen far from major manufacturing
centers
-railroad expansions helped Amers. access natural resources
-railways carried resources to growing cities
Railroads drove demand for resources
~The railroads needed:
-lumber for ties
-iron and steel for rails and cars
-coal to fuel locomotives
~more railroads = more resources needed
Accessing Raw Materials
~three major examples of industs. taking off
-Petroleaum
*became major resource in the U.S in the 1800s
*railways carried petroleum fromoil wells to cities, where it was
refined and used to make many other products (incl. kerosene)
*cities had oil refineries to help take raw petroleum and turn it
into fuels and plastics.
-Coal
*provided heat
*powered factories
*fueled locomotives
*generated electricity
*raillroads helped to open up coal fields that weren't accessible
before
*the more accessible coal was, the more that Americans used it
-Iron
*railways carried iron ore to mills, where it could be refined,
or used, to make steel
*cities like Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Birmingham became major
centers of iron and steel prod.
~every indutry followed the same pattern: railroads helped transport raw
materials, so industs. could refine these materials and sell them to eager buyers
New Industrial Centers
~Cities became manuf. centers that processed raw materials
-cities began to specialize in areas where these resources were common
-the more these manuf. cities grew, the bigger Amer. indust. became
Iron Becomes Steel + Builds a New World
~Inventors (ex: Henry Bessemer) developed processes to remove impurities from
iron and steel
-helped Americans make even better use of the resources that they were
able to harvest
The Impact of Steel
~steel began to be used in constr.
-eventually became one of the most important building materials in the
world
*was used for rails, trains, buildings, and bridges
*built tall skyscrapers, massive bridges, and huge buildings
~steel began to shape our cities (still does today)
-as the steel indut. grew, it became dominant worldwide
World Steel Production in 1900
~before 1900, U.K lead the world
-after 1900 U.S caught up thanks to railroads
*U.S created twice as much steel as the other countries could
Railroads and Land in the West
~The U.S government gave land to the railroads
~railroads used land in three ways
-using land to build tracks
-selling land to farmers and ranchers
 -building towns to help settlement
Railroads and Farmers
~by the mid-1800s, Amers. were beginning to settle Great Plains out west
-most cities were in the east
-railroads created connection between Eastern Cities + Great Plains
*carried farmers + settlers west, where they could buy land, have
a homestead, and get support from railroad towns
*also carried crops east the the growing cities that needed food
~agr. indust. was growing
New Food Industries
~helped new food industs. to grow (ex: flower mills)
~railroads brought grain to flower mills and carried flower to markets
~Pillsbury flower mills in Minneapolis were first in U.S to use steel rollers
for processing grain
~owners of Pillsbury flour mills helped build the region's railroads
~18 flower mills by the 1880s
~by bringing raw materials to cities, railroads helped cities to grow
Railroads and Ranchers
~as railroads stretched across the plains, they became easy ways for ranchers
to transport cattle
-before: ranchers had to take cattles on long cattle drives
-after: ranchers on plains would send cattle midwest to have meat
processed
*meat would then be sent on to other major cities to be sold in
stores
Meatpacking and Growing Cities
~railroads brought cattle to stockyards in growing cities
*Chicago, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Omaha owe much of early growth
to this indust.
~Refrigerator cars then carried fresh meat across the country

E.Q: During the Gilded Age, how did companies build monopolies?

Warm Up:
Monopolies and Trusts
~monopoly: exclusive possession or ctrl of supply of / trade in a good or
service (ex: Microsoft)
~trust: large company / business combo that gains (or attempts to gain)
control of a market (ex: AT&T Inc.)

Lesson Three: Trusts and Big Business

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)

~emigrated from Scotland at 13
~started working for the Pennsyl. Railroad in 1853
~began investing + growing fortune in 1856
~retired from railroad to start own company after CW
Carnegie moved towards monopoly
~1856: Learned of Bessemer process
~1875: Opened his first steel plant (success from the start)
~1881: Invested in a coke company (fuel, not drink/drug)
~1883: Bought Homestead Steel Works (provided own raw materials and
transportation
~1889: Bought Allegheny Steel (converted existing plants to Allegheny
process)
~1892: Formed Carnegie Steel (a merge of all the companies he had)
-this ctrlled most of U.S steel industry
Carnegie's Monopoly: Vertical Integration
~In 1892, Carnegie combined his dozens of companies into one giant
corporation: Carnegie Steel
-included iron mines, coke fields, steel mills, and railroads
-controlled raw materials, the means of prod., and transportation of
the product
*this practice is called vertical integration
~coke fields -> iron miles ->steel mills -> transportation
Carnegie's Effect on the Steel Industry:
~cut costs to drive steel prices down, forcing competitors out of business
~bought competitors who had created new innovations in the industry
~by 1900, ctrlled 25% of the nation's steel output
~in 1901, sold his company for $480 million, approx. $250 billion today
John D. Rockefeller
~child entrepreneur
-sold candy, potatoes, and turkeys
~got first real job at age sixteen
~started first business at nineteen
~opened his first oil refinery at twenty-four (first step to an industry he'd
one day monopolize)
Rockefeller assembled a trust
~1863: Excelsior Works (refinery for oil)
~1866: Standard Works (second refinery)
-became the largest refinery by maximizing his profits (did this by
selling off as many parts of petroleum as he could)
~1870: Standard oil (largest shipper of oil + kerosine in the world)
~1872: Cleveland Massacre (his takeover of Cleveland refineries)
~1880: Ctrl of 90%-95% of all refining capacities
~1882: Standard Oil Trust (run by nine trustees which operated under a single
state but oversaw the monopoly throughout the country)

The Standard Oil Trust: Horizontal Integration

~In 1882, Rockefeller and his partners created the Standard Oil Trust, a
"corp. of corps."
-included oil wells, pipelines, rail lines, tank cars
-owned / ctrlled more than 90% of the oil-refining capacity in the U.S
-ctrlled a single stage of prod. or dist. (practice called horizontal
integration) (basically turns several corporations into one big corp.)
Monopolies + Competition
~many Amer. did not like monopolies (believed):
-led to reduced comp.
-resulted in higher prices for consumers
-ctrlled wages and salaries for workers in their indust.
*Amers. demanded gov. action as a result
Why weren't monopolies illegal?
~Until 1890s, gov had policy called laissez-fair
-"hands-off" approach to business
-believed to be best for econ. growth
-few laws to regulate business practices during Gilded Age
-Laws generally designed to help businesses, not workers

E.Q:How did technology change Americans' lives during the Industrial Age?

Warm-Up
Change is on its Way!
~railroads important in dev.
Making it Easier to Make Things
~interchangable parts helped Americans invent + manuf. new products
-were easy to replace
-were easy to improve on
-allowed products to last longer
 -mass produced

Lesson Four: Technology and Society in the Industrial Age

The Telegraph
~allowed messages to be sent instantly over wires using a signal code
~invented by Samuel Morse and first used in
~telegraph used by
-the military
-business owners
-journalists + reporters
-ordinary people
~end result: comm. changed forever
Morse Code + the Telegraph
~telegraph messages sent through Morse Code
-the code is made of series of long + short clicks + beeps
-only experienced operators could understand
-morse code still used today
Granville Woods
~engineer + inventor
~created multiplex telegraph in 1887
-built as a method for using telegraphs on moving trains
-helped trains run on schedule and avoid collisions
The Next Big Change: The Telephone
~allowed instant communication through speech
~was invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell
~originally intended to be an elctrical speech machine to help the deaf
~basic design still used
The Telephone Goes Global:
~1877: first telephone line
~1877: first telephone company
~1914: first transcontinental telephone line
The Evolution of the Telephone
~Compared to today's phones, today's phones are:
-smaller
-portable
-digital
able to serve other purposes
~telephone: the most widely used comm. device in the world
Gettting from Place to Place in the Early 1800s
~In cities, people moved from place to place on foot, by horse, or by
carriage
~no matter what, each way of traveling was:
-slow
-limited
-challenging
~1830s: Horse-drawn trolley
~1890s: Elevated train (trains overground)
~1890s: Subway (trains underground)
Here comes the automobile!:
~as early as the 1700s, people tried to build vehicles that moved by their
own power
~advantages of the automobile:
-personal transportation
-freedom
-convenience
~the first gasoline-powered, American automobile was made in 1893
Henry Ford
~prod. automobiles + owned Ford Motor Company
 ~deter. to make a cheaper car that everyone could afford
~to make his car cheaper, Ford used:
-interchangeable parts
-mass production
-fast-moving assembly lines
How Ford Changed the Auto Industry
~Ford revolutionized the assembly line
~Ford's new assembly line made cars cheaper
~popularity of automobiles exploded
How Changes in Transportation Affected People's Lives
~more freedom of movement
~easier travel
~faster urban transit
~fresher foods
The Future of Transportation
~automobiles
~high-speed trains
~huge airliners
Thomas Alva Edison:
~was a self-taught inventor
~built his own research facilities in New Jersey
~had more than 1000 patents, including:
-the incandescent lightbulb
-systems for dist. electric power
-the phonograph
-a motion picture machine
Edisons's Life-Changing Inventions
~Incandescent lightbulb
~Phonograph
~Motion Picture machine
Madam C. J. Walker
~became one of the first Afr.-Amer. entrepreneurs
-experimented with hair-care treatments after struggle w/ hair loss
-specialized in creating cosmetics for Afr.-Amer. women
-built million-dollar business empire
Innovation in Consumer Products
~lesiure products (cameras)
~packaged foods (cut down cooking time)
~small household appliances
Advertising to Reach Consumers
~businesses reached out to consumers through advertising
-catalogs
-magazines
-newspapers

E.Q:

Warm-Up:
Workers' Lives During the Gilded Age
~mass prod. replaced old methods of manufacturing
~many workers did repetitive tasks for long hours under hazardous conditions
~men, women and children did factory work
The Economic Divide
~workers:
-crowded, rundown houses
-worked long hours for low wages
~wealthy:
-lived in mansions
-owned corps. that achieved tremendous wealth
How many people were wealthy?
~1890: 11 million people out of 12 million were earning <$1200
-many were earning far less than that
-only 9% of population was upper class

Lesson Five: A Worker's Life

Mass Production
~mass prod.: system of manuf. that uses machines to produce large amounts of
a product
quickly
-incr. in the Gilded Age
-before: many products made slowly by hand
-after: many products could be made quickly
Shoemaking: From Handmade to Mass Produced
~1800s: shoes made by hand
~1850s: invention of sewing machine
~1880s: invention of lasting machine
~1900s: mass production of shoes
Jan Matzeliger
~immigrated from Dutch Guiana (South Amer.)
~worked in shoe factory after arrival
~designed a machine that mechanized "lasting", the most time-consuming part
of making shoes
~patented invention in 1883
Effects of Mass Production
~new machines replaced skilled workers
~unskilled workers were hired to tend machines
-paid less than skilled workers
-given less training
-easily replaceable
~manuf. costs dropped, prod. incr., and prices went down
Worker Safety and Machinery
~Dangerous conditions for workers:
-machines had few safety features
-long hours made accidents common
-injured workers rarely received pay or benefits
-companies were rarely accountable for accidents
Family Work and Mass Production
~before indust., many families worked together to create prod.
~after mass prod., work increasingly took place outside the home.
~families, including children, began to work in factories
Children Who Worked: Child Labor
~in 1900, 2 million children had factory jobs
~no laws prevented children from working in factories
~factory owners could pay children less money
~children worked for long hours in dangerous conditions
Children with No Childhood
~Child workers had few ways to change their circumstances
-no schooling
-no time for play
-long work hours
-demanding physical labor
~most remained unskilled workers for their whole lives
The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916
~this fed. law banned sale of prods. from any
-factory that employed children under 14
-mine that employed children under 16
-business that employed children under 16 to work at night/>8 hours per
day
~law was declined by Supr. Court
Women and Mass Production
~many women also worked long hours outside home
-factories
-sales
-clerks
~often worked two jobs as support (bc women < men in payment)
~still responsible for household tasks
Social Changes in the Gilded Age
~reforms started in G.A
-organizing labor unions
-advocating for child labor laws
-forming women's suffrage groups
-pursuing safety laws

E.Q: How can government leaders use a cost-benefit analysis process to make
decisions?

Warm-Up
Cost-benefit analysis
~consider economic issues
~consider political + social issues

Lesson Six: Cost Benefit Analysis

Cost-Benefit Analysis
~cost-benefit analysis: a method for making a wise decision
Making a Decision
~in a cost-benefit analysis, a person compares the costs and benefits of a
decision
~Decision or choice
-Costs
*negative outcomes
-Benefits
*positive outcomes
Identifying Costs and Benefits
~example decision: change the school lunch program to include healthy foods
-benefits:
*people would feel healthier
*people might live longer
*healthy foods taste better than processed foods
-costs:
*the price of lunch may go up
*people may have to give up favorite foods
*funding for other programs could decr.
Economic Costs and Benefits
~To understand the pros and costs of a decision, you have to identify the
economic
consequences
-calculate the total costs of all of your options
-compare the total costs
-identify possible economic outcomes
Identifying Possible Economic Outcomes
~benefits
-save on medical expenses
-business for local farmers
~costs
-prices go up for school and students
Social and Political Issues
~also need to understand the social and political effects of a decision
-Social
*consequences that affect the activities of people or society
-Political
*consequences that affect the activities of government
Identifying Social Issues
~benefits
-if students are healthier, they will be happier
-if students are healthier, they will miss less school
-parents and teachers want students to do well in school
~costs
-students could be angry about losing foods they enjoy, such as pizza
-parents could be upset about paying more for lunches
-school leaders will have to raise money to pay for the new lunch
program
Analyzing Economic Costs and Benefits
~one aspect: identifying any economic consequences
-calculate the total costs of opinions
-compare the total costs
-identify possible economic outcomes
Social and Political Issues
~Social
-consequences affecting the activities of people or society
~Political
-consequences that affect the activities of gov.

E.Q: How did the labor movement in America try to improve the lives of workers?

Warm Up:
The Rise of Unskilled Labor
~unskilled workers required little/no training/experience
~many early factory + mill workers were unskilled
~unskilled workers were more easily replaced
Conditions for Unskilled Workers
~long work hours
-twelve-hour work days
-little/no time off
~dangerous work conditions
-dust, fibers, and chemicals
-unsafe machinery
The Rise of Child Labor
~1820: 23% of indust. workers
~1880: 44.7% of induct workers
The Divide between Worker and Owner
~many families needed child labor bc avg income = $300+ per year
~rich people grew richer and threw lavish parties to show off wealth

Lesson Seven: Labor Unions

Rise of Labor
~Early Labor Organizations
-Craft Guilds
*skilled craftsoeioke
*apprentice system
*limited entry
*set prices
-Trade Unions
*skilled workers
 *protested lower wages
*resented use of unskilled labor
Labor Union
~organ. of workers for purpose of advancing its members' common interests
-workers usually formed unions within a single field or industry
-they were often small and local to a particular business or factory
-unions often limited their membership + excluded large groups
*not open to immigrants, women, or Afr.-Amer.
Union Demands
~unions had consistent demands:
-shorter workday
-fair pay
-safer workplaces
~unions used collective bargaining to negotiate
-negotiations by union leaders on behalf of a group of workers
Local Unions Take Action
~a strike is a strategic work stoppage designed to put pressure on an
employer
-one of the first strikes in the country was organized by the Lowell
Mill girls
*protested wage cuts
*paved the way for the future of labor
The Knights of Labor (KOL)
~first major national labor org.
~organized skilled + unskilled workers across different industs.
~admutted women + Afr.-Amer.
~advoc. for an eight-hour workday + end to child labor
~org. into independent, local units
~led by Terence Powderly, who preferred negotiation > strikes
Terrence Powderly
~started his career as a machinist
~joined Knights of Labor + became its most effective leader
~supported negotiation + mediation instead of striking
~believed Afr.- Amers., women, + Hispanics should be included in unions
Employers' Response to Labor's Growth
~shorter hours -> reduced productivity -> more workers -> higher costs ->
lower profits
~lockout: temporary shutdown of a company by management
~arbitration: the settling of a dispute by submitting to the decision of an
outside party
The Eight-Hour Workday
~The Knights of Labor + other unions organized strikes, parades, and
political actions
~first, unions succeeded in reducing workday to 10 hours
~eight-hour day became standard across industries
Union Growth
~KOL had 28,000 which -> 100,000 in the span of 5 years (1880-1885)
~eventually -> 700,000 a year later
The American Federation of Labor
~led by Samuel Gompers
~brought together skilled workers from many different industs.
~did not welcome women + often excluded Afr.- Amer.
~demanded shorter hours, safer conditions, and the right to organize and form
unions
~focused on issues universal to all workers
Samuel Gompers
~first + longest-serving president of the AFL
~made the AFL the largest + most influential labor org. in the world
~Gompers believed unions could achieve social reform by:
 -improving economic conditions
-maintaining pol. ind.
Why the AFL Succeeded Where the KOL Failed
~The AFL only hired skilled workers
~The AFL had better organization
~The AFL's focus was on common issues
~However, there were still tensions between union + nonunion workers
The Knights of Labor and the AFL
~Knights of Labor
-admitted skilled and unskilled workers
-admitted women + Afr. - Amer.
-was poorly organized
~The AFL
-only admitted skilled workers
-excl. women + Afr. - Amer.
-well funded + org.
~What They Had In Common
-group of smaller member unions
-fought to improve lives of workers
The American Federation of Labor Today
~AFL is still active to this day
~1955: merged w/ another union (Cong. of Indust. Orgs.) to form the AFL-CIO
-had more than 12 mil. members in 57 labor unions

E.Q: How did companies oppose strikes in the late 1800s?

Warm Up
The Wealth Gap in the Gilded Age
~industry leaders lived lavishly
~workers earned just few hundreds per year
Rising Conflict
~workers on strike faced serious consequences

Lesson Eight: Strikes and Unrest

Economy's Effect on Workers

~economic conditions in the 1870s
-Eur. in a depression
-banks collapsed + unemployment rates ^^
-wages fell
-railroad workers hit the hardest (wages were cut back harshly)
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
~railroads announced wage cuts
~workers vowed to prevent the railroad from running until the pay cut was
reversed
~the company rejected the workers' demands
~troops were sent to end the strike
Disorder and Violence
~trade + business came to a halt
~strike grew as others joined in
~violence continued for 45 days
~President Hayes sent troops from town to town to put down the strike
Effects of the Strike
~hundreds of people were killed or injured
~millions of dollars were lost from property damage and lost productivity
~unions learned they needed better organization
~workers learned they could win the support of the population
~company managers and the government would try to prevent further strikes
Union Busting
 ~strategies used by companies to stop unions from growing
~Union Busting
-banning unions in the workplace
-hiring Pinkertons + private security
-hiring strikebreakers and scabs
-building company towns
Banning Unions in the Workplaces
~companies
-fired workers if they tried to join a union
-blacklisted union organizers
-forced new employees to sign contracts promising not to join a union
*yellow-dog contracts
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency
~this private security company was founded in 1850
~employees were called "Pinkertons"
-spied on and infiltrated unions
-served as guards during lockouts
-hired enforcers to incite violence
Strikes and Strikebreaking
~companies hired strikebreakers
-strikebreakers: nonunion workers who cross picket lines to take the
jobs of striking workers
-scabs: a negative term to describe strikebreakers
Company Towns
~towns where one company owns most or all of the buildings, utilities,
services, and stores
~employers had complete ctrl over workers' lives
~employees paid the company for all necessities
-rent, food, clothing
~company monitored workers' behavior in their off hours
Case Study: The Homestead Strike
~management cut workers' wages at Carnegie Steel
~union in Homestead, PA called a strike
~management decided to break union
~company hired Pinkertons to break up the strike
~strikers + Pinkertons clashed violently
~union called off the strike
Pullman, Illinois: A Company Town
~the Pullman Place Car Company built the town for its economy
~economic decline resulted in layoffs and wage cuts
~rents + prices stayed the same
~workers started a wildcat strike (strike not appr. by the union)
Case Study
~Pullman workers went on strike in May 1894
~national American Railway union called for a boycott
~strike turned violent, and travel was disrupted
~companies called on the fed gov. for help
~attorney general ordered that unions could not disrupt railroad traffic
~2500 federal troops ended strike
Effects of the Strike
~Eugene Debs was sentenced to 6 months in prison
~Pullman rehired workers if they resigned from the union
~Pullman lost more money than if it had agreed to the workers' demands
~companies increasingly appealed to the courts to disrupt union activities