Labor Conditions, Unions, and Urbanization

Labor Conditions Labor Conditions in the Late 1800’s and Early 1900’s were terrible. Most workers worked hour days in dangerous positions Sweatshop- place where people work for low pay in uncomfortable conditions Men, women, and children all worked.

UNIONS Workers organized together in an effort to get better working conditions and pay. Skilled workers were much more successful in Unions than unskilled. Often they would strike to make a point. Most often though the Union members who would strike would not get what they want. Workers organized together in an effort to get better working conditions and pay. Skilled workers were much more successful in Unions than unskilled. Often they would strike to make a point. Most often though the Union members who would strike would not get what they want.

Samuel Gompers Started the AFL (American Federation of Labor.) This combined several of the larger unions in the country. Giving strikes and labor negotiations more power. If one of the Unions would strike the others would boycott the product they were striking against. They were much more successful than unions before. Membership grew to over 2 million people

Urbanization of America Urbanization- growth of cities

New York million million million million

Chicago , million

Philadelphia , million

Kansas City , ,000

American Cities million million million million

Why did the Growth Occur? RAILROAD MANUFACTURING RAILROAD MANUFACTURING

Between 1880 and million American's gave up farming and moved to american cities

Farm prices kept dropping and they couldn’t pay off their debt.

WITH ALL THE PEOPLE THE CITIES GREW UP AND OUT IT WAS CHEAPER TO BUILD CITIES UP RATHER THAN OUT.

They began to build buildings with steel making it possible to build skyscrapers

Horse drawn street railway cars, electric street railway, trolley car, elevated railroads and subways made transportation in cities even easier.

PROBLEMS Tenements continued to shove more and more people in a room. Cities could not keep up with the demand for paving streets, garbage disposal, and sewage disposal

PROBLEMS Some coastal cities put garbage on barges and dumped it in the ocean, but most city dwellers just threw it out the window onto the streets until the pigs would come by and eat it.

PROBLEMS A number of cities built underground sewer systems. However these systems led to rivers. Every day Philadelphia would dump 13 million gallons of sewage into the Delaware River, it’s main source for drinking water.

Worst of all FIRE!! Most buildings were made of wood and very close to one another. Didn’t have water pressure like today. In 1871 a fire in Chicago burned 17,000 buildings. This left 90,000 homeless and 300 dead. Most buildings were made of wood and very close to one another. Didn’t have water pressure like today. In 1871 a fire in Chicago burned 17,000 buildings. This left 90,000 homeless and 300 dead.

Other Problems 1. Crime begins in cities 2. Political Corruption Political Machine- organized group inside a political party that is strong enough to control the party Political Boss- the head of the political machine

Political Machines Often would take bribes and gifts in exchange for rewarding city contracts to private buisness.

Boss Tweed Leader of Tammany Hall a political machine in the Democratic Party of New York City. Stole over $100 million dollars from the city government through charging more for services rendered

He eventually went to Jail but political machines continued to opperate in city and national governments.