Development of industrial united states-labor unions , History

Assignment Help:

Why did the federal and state governments consistently side with factory owners, rather than workers, during strikes?

In 1892, while Andrew Carnegie vacationed in Scotland, he ordered his assistant, Henry Clay Frick, to break employees' resistance to a wage cut at his steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Frick attempted to lock out the striking workers and to hire strikebreakers to take their jobs. When workers picketed the closed plant, Frick hired 300 Pinkerton private security guards to end the strike. Violent clashes between strikers and the guards resulted in the deaths of ten strikers and three Pinkerton agents. At this point, the governor of Pennsylvania ordered the entire state militia, 8,000 soldiers, to stop the strike and protect Carnegie's plant. Frick and Carnegie succeeded not only in breaking the strike and reducing wages at Homestead, but broke the steelworkers' attempt to form a union. However, the steelworkers' resistance made them heroes across the country and symbols of workers' desire for union representation and better working conditions. Not until the 1930s would American steelworkers succeed in unionizing.

A major financial depression hit the American economy in 1893. The following year, George Pullman, whose company manufactured railway cars, ordered a 25 percent wage cut for his employees. Workers responded by striking against Pullman's factory south of Chicago. The 150,000 member American Railway Union called a national strike, which spread to 26 states. President Grover Cleveland sent U.S. troops to protect railway property. Thirty four strikers were killed. The union's leader, Eugene Debs, was jailed. Upon his release from prison a few months later, Debs announced that he was a socialist, and that he advocated government ownership of basic industries. Debs continued his crusade against big business for decades, running for president four times on the Socialist Party ticket. He received nearly one million votes in 1912.


Related Discussions:- Development of industrial united states-labor unions

How did interventionalism influence, How did interventionalism influence Am...

How did interventionalism influence America's political and economic standing ?

HELP, How did the Militia Act affect African Americans during the Civil War...

How did the Militia Act affect African Americans during the Civil War?

How did america respond to the great war in europe, How did America respond...

How did America respond to the great war in Europe? What were the houses like alongside the mississippi river in the 1800s?

Sweeping changes that followed wwi on international level, The end of WWI r...

The end of WWI resulted in numerous social, economical and political changes. Indeed, for many of the participants of that conflict, the diplomatic/political and economical status

Show the white settlement and u.s. government policies, Name and explain th...

Name and explain three ways that the Indian peoples of the trans-Mississippi West respond to white settlement and U.S. government policies. Be sure to name and explain and of the p

Why did japan win the sino-japanese war, why did japan win the Sino-Japanes...

why did japan win the Sino-Japanese war and why did china loose? compare and contrast the Tongizhi restoration and the Meiji restoration

What were various solutions offered to the great depression, What were the ...

What were the various solutions offered to the Great Depression during the period 1930-1938 (including but not limited to the New Deal)? Which ideas were most radical? Which ideas

Example of institutional discrimination, Which of the following is NOT an e...

Which of the following is NOT an example of Institutional Discrimination? 1) Educational Tracking 2) Redlining 3) Hospital visitation rights for couples 4) Universal De

Countries process of industrialization, I need to write a paper comparing a...

I need to write a paper comparing and contrasting the industrialization of Russia and Japan during the 19th century. What are three direct, relevant similarities or differences of

Dynasties of the medieval islamic, Discuss the ways in which the major dyna...

Discuss the ways in which the major dynasties of the medieval Islamic world articulated their legitimacy to rule. What messages did they use? What strategies and methods did the

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd