Working people at the end of the 19th century History Essay
During the last quarter of the 19th century, the United States experienced tremendous growth (despite the economic crisis in the 1890s). Work and life experiences changed dramatically for working people across the nation and for new immigrants. In urban and rural areas and across industries, workers sought to build collective power to improve the conditions of their jobs and gain more agency over their lives and work. How did working people adapt to the changing economic and political conditions in the U.S. and what was their most successful strategy? To address this question, you must describe the different ways workers sought to improve their lives and working conditions. Determine which efforts were most effective. What factors limited working peopleβs ability to collectively build power? Be sure to include the larger social, economic, and political context of the United States during this period. Feel free to look at working people as a whole or choose a subgroup of workers and describe their experiences.
Write a 5-page paper that address the above prompt (rough draft does not need to be 5 pages, final paper does). All written assignments for this class should be typed, double-spaced with 12-point Times New Roman font. Margins should be 1 inch all around. Essays should be carefully edited and free of grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors. All essays need a purposeful title. Upload files in doc or docx format.
Do not use outside sources (only course materials: chapters 1-3 and discussion forum ideas). Use author lastname, page number in parenthetical citations. For example, (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 56).
The Working People at the End of the 19th Century
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor's name
Date of SubmissionI - INTRODUCTION - Industrialization and Capitalism
Thesis Statement: America's rise to industrialism, capitalism, and economic power is a fight against economic depression, discrimination, and labor exploitation.
II - BODY - Coping with Industrialism
Unions, Strikes, and Boycotts
Were the Efforts Effective?
The Best Idea
III - CONCLUSION - ConclusionIndustrialization and Capitalism
Capitalism and industrialization heightened in America between the Reconstruction era and World War 1. The birth of industrialization was the birth of modern mobilization. Businesses were flourishing while people sought their places in the business industry. When the war with Spain broke out, immigrants from Asia and Africa's parts boosted the American business industry's workforces. The arrival of immigrants also expanded America's population to billions. It meant a larger number of consumers would feed the country (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 23). The industrialization of American society has started America's competitive status in the world. It turned the country robust and competitive in the field of business.
Along with developing the business industry in America, ways of living and strategical advances had been made. Their occurrences were either to maintain the industrialization and capitalism of America or a result of them. However, America's rise to industrialism, capitalism, and economic power is a fight against economic depression, discrimination, and labor exploitation.
Coping with Industrialism
Unions, Strikes, and Boycotts
Capitalism and industrialism had started negatively in America. Businesses flourished and multiplied despite the economic depression that the country went through (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 128). People experienced hunger and lack of means to earn because some businesses would either lay off workers or cut wages. Unfair treatment of workers also led to exploitation. Salaries were higher for white men; women were discriminated against for working outside their homes; African Americans were also discriminated against and were given low wages (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 35; 37; 39).
These led to the organization of unions in America. These unions fought for most of Americans' rights and liberties from business owners. They organize strikes and boycotts to express their anger and retaliation against the business industry. Among the unions that had walked the streets are the craft unionist, central labor union, African American washerwomen, and The Knights of Labor (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 91; 92; 94). Most of the unions fight for equality in workspaces, from salary to labor treatment. They also walk the street to engage people in politics and attract the government's attention to America's economic failure. Some strikes that these unions made were the great railroad strike, the grand labor parade, Coxey's Army (which was a strike that even led to more unemployment and salary cut), and the two-week strike of African American washerwomen (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 23; 92; 93; 128; 130)
Aside from strikes, unions also called for boycotts, intended to damage establishments' business operations. Coxey's Army boycotts the Pullman company while they did the strike (Pullman strike). The workers were eager to send their anger toward the company for their exploitation and unfair business practices. However, Pullman, the company's owner, respond to the strike and boycott by firing more employees and cutting the salary even lower (Rosenzweig & Lichtenstein, 130).
Were the Efforts Effective?
The people in America had planned several strategies to change their economic status. However, their attempts failed to reach the sympathy of the powerful. Despite the organized strike and boycotts, their plea to fair labor practices and treatments took more years before addressed. Though, the formation of unions and organizations of strikes and boycotts was victorious to recognize the economic status's failure. This recognition gave them the voice to revolt against their oppressors. Their strategies, although it did not get what it...
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