Immigration and the Labor Movement in America 1860
Immigration and the Labor Movement in America 1860 - 1920
Where are the workers coming from during the Industrial n Old immigration (Before 1880 s)– People from Revolution n n northern and western Europe, Ireland Germany New immigration (1880 s-1924)- shift to southern and eastern Europe – Italy, Poland Russia. Also, Japan and China From Rural areas and Europe q Desire employment opportunities n q Escape poverty and oppression New ethnic groups cluster together in cities n “Little Italy”
Norwegian German Danish Dutch English Scottish Welsh Irish Swedish
Italian Russian Greek Jews Romanian Chinese Hungarian Austrian Serbian Polish
The Irish Potato Famine Religious Persecution Of Jews To Escape. Conditions in immigrants’ native lands often propelled or “pushed” them to leave. Immigrants came to escape conditions of poverty or religious and political persecution. Extreme Poverty & Crime in Italy Political Persecution in Germany
Availability Of Jobs $ Higher Standards Of Living $ The Land of Opportunity. Conditions in the U. S. also attracted or “pulled” many immigrants to come. Many newcomers heard about these benefits. News of these benefits was spread by letters to relatives, steamship advertisements and industrialists seeking to recruit laborers. Greater Political Freedom Religious Freedom
Statue Of Liberty Symbol Of Open Immigration
Ellis Island, New York
Interior Of Ellis Island
Italians Chinese Greek Irish Jews Russian Polish
n n “Melting pot” theory – new American culture Assimilation - The process when a minority group adopts the customs and attitudes of the nation’s culture.
Nativist laws passed to limit immigration n Nativism – belief that native-born Americans are superior to immigrants. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1888 Emergency Quota Act of 1921 q n Lowered the amount of immigrants admitted to US = lowers immigration by 75% National Origins Act of 1924 q Lowers immigration from Eastern and Southern European Countries
Pale face afraid you crowd him out, as he did me. Chinese Exclusion Act (1888) All future Chinese Immigration was banned. This was the first law in U. S. History restricting immigration Every dog (no distinction of color) has his day.
YEARS World War I U. S. Industrial Revolution German Militarism Economic Depression in U. S. Railroad Building Western Settlement U. S. Civil War Famine in Ireland Revolution in Germany NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS (in thousands) INFLUENCES ON IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES (1820 -1940)
Justification for the Gap Between the Rich and Poor
Charles Darwin n n What theory did Darwin discover? What does this theory mean?
“Survival of the Fittest”
he t f o l a v i v r u s “ f o a e d i ry a n. o s i t e u s l s o e v n e i s e th bu t d a n h t a f e e l i l p e o pe g The b n i k r o w to d e i l p p a ” fittest Fit? Unfit?
Most famous Social Darwinist of all time…
Labor Movement
Wages and Working Conditions n Average income = $500 a year q n n n Women and children labored for even less No Job security 10 hour days (at the least) Work places were: q Unhealthy, unsafe, many accidents n No worker compensation
Major Union Demands n n n End Child Labor Shorter Hours Better Conditions Better Pay Collective Bargaining rights A written contract
Knights of Labor n n n Founded by Uriah S. Stephens in 1869 Open to both skilled and unskilled workers Supported: q q q n 8 hour work day Equal pay and better wages abolition of child labor Safety and health laws Arbitration for disputes No foreign contract labor Disappears by the turn of the century
American Federation of Labor (AFL) n Founded by Samuel Gompers in 1881 q Only wanted skilled laborers n Excludes 90% of workers q Supported – “Bread and Butter” Issues n Higher wages n Better working conditions n 8 hour day n Buy union n Collective bargaining q Strike if necessary q 500, 000 members by 1900
Eugene V. Debs (Socialist) n n n Founding Member of IWW Most famous Socialist in America Supports American Railway Union and Pullman Strike in 1894 Would be sentenced to prison during Pullman Strike and WWI (protested U. S. involvement) Ran for President from Socialist Party 5 times (1920 from jail)
Union Tactics n n Collective bargaining – union negotiates for its members as a whole (wages, hours, rules, conditions) q no individual agreements Strike – refusal to work until employer meets your demands q Scab - a worker who refuses to join a labor union, to participate in a union strike, or takes a striking worker’s job Boycott – refusal to work for or buy products produced by a certain company or person Blacklist – a list used by employers with names of people not to hire because of their ideas q Can also be a list of employers to be boycotted by workers and union members
Management v. Unions n “Tools” of Management q q q q Non-union: “scabs” Anti-union pr campaign Used Pinkertons, militia, Fed. troops lockout blacklisting yellow-dog contracts court injunctions open shop n “Tools” of Unions q q q q boycotts sympathy demonstrations informational picketing closed shops organized strikes “wildcat” strikes Collective bargaining
Labor Disputes Strikes and Riots
Railroad Strike of 1877 n n First major strike Protested wage cut q n Riots in Pennsylvania, Maryland, W. Virginia, Illinois q q n Refused to operate the rails Federal troops are called in $5 million in property was destroyed Workers go back even with pay cuts
Haymarket Riot – 1886 n n Haymarket Square in Chicago – 5/4/1886 Sponsored by AFL and K of L q n Nationwide demand for 8 hour day Anarchists attend strike q Bomb goes off n q 7 die, many wounded 8 anarchists are charged with murder
Homestead Strike - 1892 n Carnegie Steel Company q Was going to cut pay for union members n q q Pinkertons called in 7/6/1892 – battle, Pinkertons surrender n q workers strike 8, 000 National Guard are sent in 4 month strike, union gives in
Pullman Strike - 1894 n n Protesting 25% wage cut Led by Eugene Debs – American Railway Union q Boycott Pullman cars on railways q Freezes railroads from Chicago to Pacific coast Pres. Cleveland sends in 2, 000 troops q Injunction to force workers to deliver mail and commerce q Strikers refuse and are jailed Strike ends
1 st Government Action to fight Business n Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) q Prohibits monopolies by declaring any business combination “in restraint of trade” illegal n q Very vague! Courts fail to enforce the Act
The Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution Urbanization and Immigration
Urbanization - The movement of people from the countryside to cities.
Urbanization n Negative effects of city growth: 1. overcrowded 2. unsanitary living conditions 3. poor housing = tenements (slums) 4. crime 5. diseases 6. political corruption
n Positive Effects: 1. new transportation (subways, streetcars) 2. new architecture (skyscrapers) 3. museums, parks, theaters 4. newspapers and magazines
Social Classes n n n Working class – largest, poorest, immigrants, lived in tenements, whole family worked in factories Middle class – doctors, lawyers, office workers, skilled laborers, better housing, more $ and leisure time. Upper class – entrepreneurs, large mansions or elegant apt. buildings, gave $ to charities.
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