Labor Unions & Big Business

• Identify each of the following events or people. Give an explanation or description of the item. Answer the questions who, what, where, and when.
• Explain the historical significance of each item in the space provided. Establish the historical context in which the item exists. Establish the item as the result of or as the cause of other factors existing in the society under study. Answer this question: What were the political, social, economic, and/or cultural consequences of this item?

the Knights of Labor

a. Identification- The Knights of Labor were founded in 1860 by Philidelphia garment cutters, and accepted other workers in the 1870s. They were the only broad-based union to survive the depression of rising and falling unions. Terence V Powderly was elected grand master.

b. Significance- The Knights Of Labor's goal was to "eventually make every man his own master - every man his own employer. . . There is no good reason why labor cannot, through cooperation, own and operate mines, factories, and railroads." Fell apart when Powderly persistantly refused to act with violence and strikes, and the people decided they'd achieve more themselves.

the Haymarket riot

a. Identification- At Haymarket Square, near downtown Chicago, Illinois, on May 2nd, 1886, labor groups rallied to protest the brutality of police the day before in apprehending a massive union strike. A bomb went off, killing 7 and hurting 67. Many arrests followed, and 8 anarchists were tried for the bombing. 4 were executed. One committed suicide in jail, and the remaining three were pardoned in 1893 by governor John P. Altgeld.

b. Significance- It drew attention to the increasing hatred towards labor and brought back the fear of radicalism in the middle-class. The nation increased security and awareness againts strikes and riots in fear of their destructiveness.

the American Federation of Labor

a. Identification- The AFL formed from the upheavals as the major workers' organization. It was made up of national craft unions, and had about 140,ooo members, who were mostly skilled, native-born workers. It was led by Samuel Gompers, who also headed the Cigar Makers' union. Instead of pursuing concrete goals like other union groups, they went for multiple immediate goals to improve working conditions.

b. Significance- by1901 their numbers reached 1 million, and 2.5 million by 1917. They accepted industrialism and looked for ways to improve the wage-and-hour system instead of fighting for the long-term cause. They also avoided party politics. They worked together, despite opinions on political parties.

Samuel Gompers

a. Identification- Samuel Gompers was the leader of the AFL. He was an optimistic, practical immigrant who also ran the Cigar Makers' union. He avoided the unlikely hopes of achieving perfect working conditions in concrete goals of higher wages, less hours, and the right to bargain collectively.

b. Significance- He led the AFL to expanding into a huge union with 2.5 million members by 1917. Helped the AFL pursue much more realistic immediate goals to improve the wages and hours for the workers in the unions.

the Homestead strike

a. Identification- In July, 1892, the AFL affiliated Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steelworkers refused to allow their wages to be cut so they went on strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Henry C. Frick, the president of Carnegie Steel, closed the plant, then later tried to protect it by hiring 300 Pinkerton guards and sneaking them in by the river in the darkness. The strikers attacked them, and militiamen were called in. After 5 months, the strike was subdued.

b. Significance- The Homestead strike turned people against strikers when an anarchist that wasn't even part of the strike tried to take Hery Frick's life.

the Pullman strike

a. Identification- The workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company began to protest in 1894 due to the outrageous policies in the company town near Chicago. George Pullman provided and controlled everything in the so-called "model town" that was made for his workers. The company owned everything and controlled the whole town almost like tyranny.

b. Significance- Pullman would not negotiate. He'd cut wages while keeping the prices of rent and bills in the town. He'd respond to complaints by firing workers, so Eugene V. Debs led a strike against it. Pullman closed the factories and the strikers threatned to block the railroads. So president Grover Cleveland sent in troops to stop the strike.

Eugene V. Debs

a. Identification- Eugene V. Debs led the Pullman strike. He was a young, charismatic organizer. He was given six months in jail for his "attack" on the railroads

b. Significance- Debs led one of the many unsuccessful strikes. He took on a big enemy and tried something very daring which only provoked a higher force to step in and stop it quickly, and he was placed in jail for the attempt, which no benefit or victory.

the Industrial Workers of the World

a. Identification- The Industrial Workers of the World, a.k.a the "Wobblies," wanted to unite all laborers, skilled and unskilled, like the Knights of Labor did. But they surpassed the Knights tacticsand used violence and sabotaged to achieve their goals. Its goal was "One Big Union," and its motto was "An injury to one is an injury to all."

b. Significance- The "Wobblies" tried to take over industries with planned strikes and violence, but the group died out when many of its members, which were already few, were getting convicted of crimes.