2. Impact of Industrialization  By 1900, the United States had surpassed Great Britain, France, and Germany as the leading industrial power in the world because of:  An abundance of natural resources.  A growing population (aided by immigration) = more workers and more consumers.  Development of new technologies.  Results:  The rich get richer.  Expansion of the middle class (white-collar America).  More working women.  Emergence of labor unions and struggle between workers leaders of industry.  The urbanization of America-growth of American cities.

3. Labor Unions  The main goals of labor unions were to get higher wages, a shorter workday, and a safer workplace.  Difficult to unionize workers because of frequent job changes and a constant stream of new immigrants - cheaper source of labor who could replace those on strike.  Some wanted political action, while others wanted to strike, boycott, or use slowdowns  Employers used blacklists, scabs, and lockouts to break unions.  Law enforcement and the government supported the employer against the workers.

5. Labor Unions (cont.)  Knights of Labor (1869) - founded by Terrence Powderly, the Knights of labor was the second national union that existed in secret until 1881.  Sought the abolition of child labor, trusts and monopolies.  Wanted to solve issues through collective bargaining rather than striking.  Collective Bargaining – process of negotiations between employers and a group of employees aimed at reaching agreements to regulate working conditions  American Federation of Labor (1886) - founded by Samuel Gompers, the AFL was the country’s largest union.  Gompers instructed workers to walk-out until a better contract was negotiated through collective bargaining.

6. Labor Unions (cont.)  American Railway Union (1893) - founded by Eugene V. Debs, the ARU was first industrial union.  International Ladies Garment Workers Union (1909) - founded by 16-year old Pauline Newman (had worked in the industry for 8 years), the IRLGWU was an organization for women textile workers.  Fire at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory demonstrated the unsafe working conditions of the textile industry.

7. Sea Pig

8. Key Strikes  The Haymarket Square Riot (1886)  May Day (May 4) meeting to organize workers for shorter workday.  During rally, seven police officers were killed by a bomb.  Police responded by opening fire on crowd - 4 killed, many more wounded.  American public starts to view unions negatively.

9. Key Strikes (cont.)  Homestead Strike (1892)  Carnegie cut wages by 20% and workers at steel plant in Pittsburg went on strike.  Workers locked out and strikebreakers and private guards were used to deny jobs to workers.  Violence - three guards and nine workers killed, PA National Guard called in.  Steelworkers would not be able to unionize again until the 1930s.

10. Key Strikes (cont.)  Pullman Strike (1894)  Pullman cut wages and fired union members.  ARU went on strike-Debs ordered workers not to handle trains that had Pullman cars.  Federal government used injunction (court order) ordering workers to stop the strike because they interrupted the mail service.  Failure to comply led to the jailing of leaders (Debs), Supreme Court ruled that the government could use injunctions against strikes.  Violent repression of the Union and radicalization of the Union movement.

11. Jacob Riis - How the Other Half Lives