Working Conditions in the Industrial Revolution US HISTORY

Working Conditions in the Industrial Revolution US HISTORY

Labor in the Age of Industry As new inventions and technology led to new factories and machines, the nature of work changed for many Americans Many lost control over working conditions, often working longer hours and in dangerous conditions Skilled workers were replaced by machines—unskilled workers were easy to replace

Working Conditions Workers faced harsh conditions Sweatshops: small factories where people worked in poor conditions for little pay Laissez-faire: there were few government regulations to protect them Social Darwinism: “survival of the fittest” What happened to a worker who was injured or killed on the job? Do sweatshops still exist today?

CHILD LABOR Factory owners liked to hire children because they were cheap & their small bodies and hands could reach machine parts that adults couldn’t In 1900, there were nearly 2 million children under the age of 15 working in factories. Like adults, children worked 12 hours a day/6 days a week. Work Hours & Rules for Minors in WI How has Child Labor changed over the last 100 years? HAS IT?

Growth of Unions Facing difficult conditions, workers started to band together and form unions to fight for better treatment and pay Problems they faced: Division among workers—native-born whites, African Americans, immigrants, men, women Wealthy corporations vs. poor workers The biggest union is the American Federation of Labor, formed in 1886 Some Americans also turned to socialism: an economic system where business is owned by the people rather than by individuals

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911, fire in a garment factory in New York City. Hundreds of workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish women, tried to get out, but at least one door was chained shut and one stairway was blocked by fire Many jumped from upper stories, but died in the fall; the firemen’s nets did not hold them, and their ladders didn’t reach past the 6 th floor.

Trapped! n Some escaped, but 146 died

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Looking at the EVIDENCE What kind of people were doing the work in the factory? Victim's Death List Toll What must it have been like to be in the factory that day? (Through Their Eyes) READ Survivor Stories LISTEN to Survivor Stories

Significance of the Fire n n n The largest industrial accident in the history of NYC Factory owners found innocent at trial—later paid $75 to families of dead workers Led to new safety regulations Pushed many workers to organize Highlighted different viewpoints on big business

n “To many, its horrors epitomize the extremes of industrialism. The tragedy still dwells in the collective memory of the nation and of the international labor movement. The victims of the tragedy are still celebrated as martyrs at the hands of industrial greed. ” n Cornell University Web Exhibit on the Triangle Factory Fire