LESSON WRITER: Bryan Bettis LESSON EDITOR: Karen Hodges / Wendy Schanberger DATE: June 2010

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1 LESSON WRITER: Bryan Bettis LESSON EDITOR: Karen Hodges / Wendy Schanberger DATE: June 2010 COURSE/GRADE: United States History, Grade 9-12 UNIT: Reconstruction and an Expanding America (Reconstruction-1897); Industrialization and the creation of American Railroads. LESSON TITLE: The Involvement of the United States Government during the Great Strike of 1877 and the role of Government in businesses during Industrialization. TIME NEEDED: One 45-minute class period LESSON OVERVIEW: This lesson allows students to explore the tensions between business and labor during the late 1800s, using the lens provided by the experience of the B&O Railroad during the Great Strike of Students will analyze documents to determine the actions and potential consequences of key groups in the event. Ultimately, students will evaluate what the appropriate action of the federal government should have been in the Great Strike, taking into consideration the laissezfaire tradition of the federal government at the time. OUTCOMES: At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: Evaluate potential solutions to the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 from the perspectives of both employers and laborers. OBJECTIVES: Focus Question for the Lesson: What should have been the most effective and appropriate response by the federal government to the Great Railroad Strike of 1877? Historical Thinking Skill Targeted: A. Historical Analysis and Interpretation Critically assess decisions and actions taken to provide a thorough analysis of a variety of documents in order to draw conclusions. Maryland State Curriculum Content Objectives: A a; Evaluate the impact of industrialization and laissez-faire policies on workers. Maryland State Curriculum Skills and Processes Objectives: A. Evaluate information from a variety of sources MATERIALS: Photographs A&B of Railroad Bosses and the Mechanical Force Document packet (C-F): class set or shown to class by instructor Worksheet titled, The Great Strike of 1877: Source Analysis Chart Worksheet titled, The Great Strike of 1877: Assessment Worksheet titled, Assessment Rubric PRIMARY SOURCES: A. B&O Railroad Bosses [1871]. Photograph. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. P Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. B. Mechanical Force Grafton, WV [1885]. Photograph. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. P Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 1

2 C. Governor Mattthew s Letter. Baltimore American. July 18, D. The Baltimore & Ohio Strike. Editorial. Railroad Gazette Volume 9. July 20, pg Hays T. Watkins Research Library. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. E. Frank Leslie s Illustrated Newspaper [1877]. Illustration. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. P Baltimore & Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. F. Letter from the Gatling Company to the President of the B&O Railroad [1877]. Letter. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. SELECTED VOCABULARY/PEOPLE: domestic Gatling gun Rutherford B. Hayes Laissez-Faire Economics militia strike PROCEDURE: Motivation Distribute and/or display Photographs A&B of the Railroad Bosses and the Mechanical Force to the students. Each student should independently record a detailed description of each picture on his/her paper. Ask and discuss: What are the major differences between these two groups of people? What can you infer from these pictures about each group? How could these differences lead to tension between these two groups of people? Guided Practice Background Information: Inform students of the situation for both businesses and laborers during the late 1800s. Include in your discussion an evaluation of the common practices of industrialists (exploitation of workers, long hours, unsafe working conditions, existence of company stores/towns) and workers (beginning of the formation of labor unions, distinction between skilled and unskilled workers, role of immigrants in the labor force) as well as a review of the concept of laissez-faire, the typical role of the government at this time. In addition, remind students of the Panic of 1873 which was part of a world-wide economic depression which set the stage for the Railroad Strike. As railroad companies lost profits, they needed to reduce costs. One of the major ways they accomplished this was by reducing the wages of their workers. Introduce students to the focus question: What should have been the most effective and appropriate response by the federal government to the Great Railroad Strike of 1877? Hand out packet of primary/secondary source (C-F) and the worksheet titled, The Great Strike of 1877: Source Analysis Chart. Explain that they will be using a series of primary sources and one secondary source document in order to determine some of the causes, events, and consequences of the Strike of Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 2

3 Model how to complete the chart using the two photographs from the motivation. Using the Photograph of the Mechanical Force, identify Origins, Problems (for Workers and Bosses) and Potential Solutions. Remind students that not every document will have a response for each section. Also, encourage educated inferences. Independent Practice In small groups, complete the rest of the chart with the remaining documents (Primary/Secondary Sources C-F). Each student should complete his/her own chart as the group compares answers and discusses the documents. Ask: Which sources are primary? secondary? Which source gave the most information? the least? Why? Assessment Have students complete the worksheet titled, The Great Strike of 1877: Assessment where students respond to the following prompt: You are President Rutherford B. Hayes. You receive all of this information about the Great Strike of 1877 and must decide the best course for the federal government. Write a plan of action, or alternatively, write a paper justifying inaction on the part of the federal government. o Justify your solution. o o Explain potential downfalls and benefits of your solution. Use specific information from the documents to support your conclusions and analysis. Students should use the worksheet titled, Assessment Rubric to help guide their response. Closure Discuss how the response that the students felt was most effective and appropriate was similar or different from the federal military response sponsored by President Rutherford B. Hayes. Why did students make the decision that they made? Why might Hayes have made the decision he made? SUGGESTIONS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS: For students with IEPs and 504s the following can be used to make sure each student achieves the objective and is able to answer the focus question: Place students in heterogeneous cooperative groups. Use the auto-summarize feature in Microsoft Word to help highlight key points of the written documents. Enlarged and/or simplified primary documents for certain students. Alternative answering techniques for document-based questions. (i.e. listing, bullets, mapping of concepts) Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 3

4 Strategic seating arrangement so that if a student needs help they can ask a neighbor for assistance while staying on task. Reading of documents aloud by instructor. Extra time allotted for written responses. LESSON EXTENSIONS: Research to compare government intervention in the strike of 1877 to later strikes. How does government intervention change over time? Do the circumstances during which the government is willing to intervene change over time? Research other strikes in other fields other than railroads. How are they similar or different to railroad strikes? Study various methods of reform, such as boycotts, protests, songs lyrics, sit-ins, etc. Which method of reform seems to bring quicker or better results? Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 4

5 The Great Strike of 1877 Source Analysis Chart Directions: PART A: Complete the chart for each of the documents listed. Not every document will have a response for each section. Make sure you answer the sub questions for each category. Photo: Workers Origin of Document What type of document is it? What is purpose of the document? What bias might the creator have? Problems for Workers Indicated in Document (answer may be: none) Problems for Bosses Indicated in Document (answer may be: none) Potential Solutions Indicated in Document (answer may be: none) Who benefits from the solution? Photo: Bosses Gov. Wheeling Letter Railroad Gazette Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 5

6 Army Illustration Origin of Document What type of document is it? What is purpose of the document? What bias might the creator have? Problems for Workers Indicated in Document (answer may be: none) Problems for Bosses Indicated in Document (answer may be: none) Potential Solutions Indicated in Document (answer may be: none) Who benefits from the solution? Gatling Letter Directions: PART B: Of the solutions listed, which do you think would have been the best course for the government to take? Why? What are possible positive outcomes of this solution? What are the possible negative outcomes of this solution? Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 6

7 The Great Strike of 1877 Assessment Directions: You are President Rutherford B. Hayes. You receive all of this information about the Great Strike of 1877 and must decide the best course for the federal government. Write a plan of action, or alternatively, write a paper justifying inaction on the part of the federal government. o Justify your solution. o o Explain potential downfalls and benefits of your solution. Use specific information from the documents to support your conclusions and analysis. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 7

8 The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Assessment Rubric Content Process Excellent 85% - 100% Includes an excellent and thorough argument detailing the suggested actions of the federal government in the Great Strike of Expertly defends this argument, using solid evidence from the documents. Analytically addresses why this argument is the best decision based on the available options. Describes how his/her choice is different from or similar to the historical choice of President Rutherford B. Hayes and analyzes what historical facts might have helped these differences to develop. Represents a creative approach to understanding potential actions of the government in the Great Strike of Excellently organized and easy to understand the main recommendation for action by the federal government. Makes a clear and sophisticated judgment about the role of the federal government in the strikes between laborers and workers. The writing is carefully crafted and contains no grammatical or factual errors. Satisfactory 70% - 85% Includes a satisfactory argument detailing the suggested actions of the federal government in the Great Strike of Adequately defends this argument, using solid evidence from the documents. Analytically addresses why this argument is the best decision based on the available options. Describes how his/her choice is different from or similar to the historical choice of President Rutherford B. Hayes and analyzes what historical facts might have helped these differences to develop. Represents a basically creative approach to understanding potential actions of the government in the Great Strike of Organized and easy to understand the main recommendation for action by the federal government. Makes a judgment about the role of the federal government in the strikes between laborers and workers. The writing is carefully crafted and contains no grammatical or factual errors Needs Improvement 0% - 70% Includes an under-defined argument explaining the suggested actions of the federal government in the Great Strike of Inadequately defends this argument, using solid evidence from the documents. Inadequately addresses why this argument is the best decision based on the available options. Inaccurately describes how his/her choice is different from or similar to the historical choice of President Rutherford B. Hayes and analyzes what historical facts might have helped these differences to develop. Represents a simplistic approach to understanding potential actions of the government in the Great Strike of Neither well-organized nor easy to understand the main recommendation for action by the federal government. Does not make a judgment about the role of the federal government in the strikes between laborers and workers. The writing is carefully crafted and contains no grammatical or factual errors Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 8

9 The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Pre/Post Test Questions 1. The primary cause of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was which of the following? a) Poor working conditions suffered by immigrant workers. b) Requirements by railroad owners that workers labor 7 days a week for 12 hours a day. c) A 10% reduction in wages forced on workers by railroad owners. d) A catastrophic accident in which 200 railroad workers were killed and injured. 2. Which of the following best describes the actions of the workers on strike during the events of 1877? a) Workers violently attacked railroad cars and stations, setting many on fire. b) Workers protested and picketed. c) It was a very limited strike and most workers did not participate, but continued to work. d) Workers killed railroad owners. 3. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the concept of laissez-faire? a) Laissez-faire was the tradition of the state and federal governments in the 1800s. b) Big business tended to benefit from laissez-faire because there were no regulations on how they treated their workers. c) The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 is an example of a time in which the federal government violated the tradition of laissez-faire. d) Workers benefitted from laissez-faire because the lack of regulation by the government allowed them to do their jobs well. 4. Which of the following best describes the actions of the federal government during the Great Strike of 1877? a) President Hayes and local state governments sent in militia to break up the strike. b) President Hayes did not intervene, neither on behalf of the railroad owners, nor on behalf of the workers. c) President Hayes mediated an end to the strike, making both sides happy without having to resort to violence. d) President Hayes was able to prevent the strike from happening in the first place. 5. In what way did the Panic of 1873 set the stage for the Great Strike of 1877? a) The Panic of 1873 did not have anything to do with Great Strike of 1877, they were unrelated. b) The Panic of 1873 caused the railroad companies to lose profits, causing them by 1877 to cut the wages of workers. c) The Panic of 1873 caused workers to benefit from a huge jump in the stock market, making them less willing to work for low wages. d) The Panic of 1873 caused companies to build company towns and company stores whose high prices caused the Great Strike of Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 9

10 Primary Source A: Mechanical Force Photograph Mechanical Force Grafton, WV [1885]. Photograph. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. P Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 10

11 Primary Source B: Railroad Bosses Photograph B&O Railroad Bosses [1871]. Photograph. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. P Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 11

12 Document C Wheeling, July 18, 1877 To His Excellency, R.B. Hayes, President of the U.S. Washington, D.C.: Owing to unlawful combinations and domestic violence now existing at Martinsburg and at other points along the line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, it is impossible with any force at my command to execute the laws of the State. I therefore call upon your Excellency for the assistance of the United States military to protect the law abiding people of the State against domestic violence, and to maintain supremacy of the law. The legislature is not now in session and could not assemble in time to take any action in the emergence. A force of from two to three hundred troops should be sent without delay to Martinsburg, where my aid, Col. Delaplain, will meet and confer with the officer in command. H.M. Matthews Governor of West Va. Governor Mattthew s Letter. Baltimore American. July 18, Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 12

13 Document D The Baltimore & Ohio Strike. Editorial. Railroad Gazette Volume 9. July 20, pg Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 13

14 Document E Frank Leslie s Illustrated Newspaper [1877]. Illustration. Hays T. Watkins Research Library. P Baltimore & Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 14

15 Document F Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 15

16 Edger T. Welles. Letter to John W. Garrett, Esqr. [August 24, 1877]. Manuscript. B&O Railroad Museum. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 16

17 Edger T. Welles. Letter to John W. Garrett, Esqr. [August 24, 1877]. Manuscript. B&O Railroad Museum. [transcription of letter] Office of Gatling Gun Company John W. Garrett, Esqr. President Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, Baltimore, MD Hartford, Conn. U.S.A. August 24, 1877 Sir; The recent riotous disturbances throughout the country, have shown the necessity of preparation by such corporations as the one over which you preside, to meet violence by superior force and skill. The calls made upon us during the existence of the riots were too sudden to be promptly met, and we have the honor to suggest that you strengthen yourselves now against such emergencies in the future, by providing yourselves with Gatling guns. The reputation, character, and effectiveness of the gun, are too well known to be repeated. Four or five men only are required to operate it, and our Gatling, with a full supply of ammunition, can clear a street or track, and keep it clear. Hence, a few tried employees supplied with Gatlings, afford a Railroad Company a perfect means of defense within itself. We forward to your address by this mail, various publications relating to the gun, and will be happy to furnish any additional information in our power. Most respectfully, Your obedient servants, Gatlin Gun Company, By Edger T. Welles Treasurer. Involvement of the U.S. Gov t during the Strike of 1877 and... 17