Lecture outline I. The Union Movement - Workers respond to industrialization (2) A. (3.1) Unions and collective bargaining Unions are organizations of workers that join together to work for better wages and working conditions - the basic idea is strength in numbers Unions allow workers to negotiate with employers as a group, rather than as individuals. Collective bargaining is when workers negotiate for better wages and conditions and conditions as a group. As individuals workers are powerless.(3.2-3.3) As a group, workers have power. (4.1-4.3) B.Different approaches to unionization (5.1) Many early unions sought radical change - They sought to overthrow the system of wage labor that existed in the American workplace (where workers worked for wages paid by the owners of the factory). The most significant union that took this approach was: (5.2) The Knights of Labor, 1869 The Knights was built on the philosophy that wage labor was not compatible with democracy and sought to transform the relationship been workers and factory owners. They sought transformation through: The establishment of worker owned cooperatives Fighting to pass laws which restricted business practices - such as a national 8 hour day law. The Knights sought to organize all workers of all races, occupations and skills (5.3) Later radical unions included the International Workers of the World which promoted the ideas of Karl Marx On the other hand, The American Federation of Labor (1886) did not seek radical reform through the political process, but rather focused on bread and butter issues - mainly improving wages and working conditions. The AF of L was led by Samuel Gompers and was only open to white, male skilled workers.
By 1900 the AF of L was the largest union in the United States. The AF of L successfully used strikes to fight for better conditions. (6) Between 1890 and 1915 the average weekly wage in unionized industries rose from $17.50 to $24, while the work week decreased from 54.5 to 49 hours. C. (7) Major strikes and their outcomes A strike is where all of the workers in a business or an industry stop working. The goal is to make the employer lose money so that he will agree to workers demands Activity (8) An important tool unionized workers have to improve wages and conditions is a strike. Great Strike of 1877 Wage cuts The strike was ended unsuccessfully for the workers but it strengthened the union movement and made workers more politically active US Army called in to suppress the strike. Federal troops kill 20 strikers in Pennsylvania Haym arket Affair Wage cuts at the McCormick farm machinery plant Unions lose support. Knights of labor basically destroyed (because they were suspected of radicalism) Police sought to crush a union meeting, when someone through a bomb, the police opened fire killing 10. Several union leaders jailed. 4 anarchists were convicted and hanged despite a lack of evidence The Home stead Strike Drastic wage cuts The steelworkers lost. Hours were lengthened and wages cut by 25%. Within a decade, every major steel company had broken free of the unions. Pennsylvania national guard sent in to restore order (fighting had broken out between the owners private army and the strikers) The Pullma n Strike Drastic wage cuts without any decreases in the rents employees paid for their Pullman houses. Workers fired for making complaints Increased production demands The strike ended with the defeat of the workers. Debs (the union leader) was jailed. The Attorney General issued an injunction (a legal order) against the strike Federal troops were sent in to break the strike Coeur d Alene Wage cuts in Idaho s silver and lead mines Owners got the mines reopened, but the strike energized the unionization movement. Leads to the formation of the Western Federation of miners (a very strong union) Mining district occupied by 1500 state and federal troops to allow strikebreakers to enter mines Strikers arrested
D.The government and unionization (9.1-7) Until 1900, Government almost always sided with businesses when strikes occurred E.Case study - garment workers in New York II.The Rise of Political Machines (10) A.Definition Ask students how rapid industrialization and urbanization affected cities (Rapid urbanization strained all aspects of city life including government) a)as immigrant poured into American cities, politicians saw the potential to use the immigrants to further their own careers - from this political machines were born b)a political machine was an organized group or party that controlled the activities of city government an politics, with the goal of keeping itself in power c)machines raised money through corruption (skimming, bribery, graft and patronage) which enabled them to... d)political machines offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for their political or financial support. e)by the late 1800s, machines controlled city governments in many large American cities including: (10.1) Kansas City (Big Jim Pendergast - Kansas City Missouri 1890s), (10.2) San Francisco (Abe Ruef - 1900-1910) and (10.3) New York (Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed and later Richard Croker in the Late 1890s) (10.4) As students to put the used the Pendergast quote to explain in 1-2 sentences how machines worked. B.(11) Machines and immigrants a)as immigrants poured into American cities (New York had 2 million foreign born residents in 1910 out of a total population of 4.75 million), politicians saw the potential to use the immigrants to further their own careers. b)immigrants were often unfamiliar with American democracy and did not understand how voting worked nor who they should vote for. c)politicians would offer individual immigrants and immigrant communities services and assistance in exchange for their votes. d)thus immigrants got needed services and help and politicians got re-elected - the political machine was born! e)(12-15) Political machines were effective because they were highly organized. (16-17) As students to describe the meaning of the cartoon in 1-2 sentence in their notes. C. (18) Early efforts at reform - At the national level, efforts to clean up corruption in politics took the form of the Pendleton Civil Service Act which tried to fight patronage (giving out government jobs to political supporters) by establishing a Civil Service
Exam so that federal jobs would be awarded based on merit. At a local and state level, the Progressive movement would fight against the corruption of machine politics. Social Reform in the Industrial Era III.(19) Social Reform in the Industrial era - Social reform aimed at improving American society. A.(20) Temperance - The temperance movement sought to ban the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the United States. a)(21) The largest temperance group in the the United States was the Women s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) headed by Frances Willard. They advocated that women should have the right to vote because they would ban alcohol b)(22) Alcohol was banned in the United States by the 18th Amendment in 1919 B.(23) The Social Gospel/Settlement House Movement a)the Social Gospel movement was a social movement that taught that to achieve salvation Christians must help those less fortunate than themselves. This movement emphasized the ethical teachings of Jesus. (24) In 1896 Charles Sheldon wrote In his Steps: What Would Jesus Do? A novel which challenged Christians to adopt a more Christ like attitude toward the poor. b)(25)members of the social gospel movement established settlement houses which were community centers in poor neighborhoods designed to help poor immigrants by providing educational cultural and social services. For example: Establishment of Kindergartens English Classes Cooking classes Musical performances and poetry reading (aimed at cultural uplift) Closely linked to the Americanization movement c)(26) Jane Addams founded one of the most Famous settlement Houses - Hull House - in Chicago in 1889. The movement would expand to 400 settlement houses nationwide by the early 20th century. d)(27) Settlement house workers also pushed for laws aimed at social reform, maintaining that poverty was at the root cause of much inner city suffering. These reforms included pushing for more parks and sewer systems as well as public health clinics. C.(28)Women s Suffrage - The Women s suffrage movement sought to grant women the right to vote (suffrage means voting rights). a)the suffrage movement began in 1848 at the Senneca Falls Convention on the rights of women Two leaders in the early Women s suffrage movement were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony b)(29.1) The movement continued to grow throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th. By 1917 the National Woman Suffrage Association had over 2 million members
c)modern suffragists argued that women should have the vote not simply because of equality ( an idea that seemed radical), but rather because women had a unique and valuable perspective that would only be heard if they were given the vote. d)by 1919 39 states allowed women to vote e)(29.2) Women gained the right to vote in in 1920 with the passage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution IV.(30) Political Reform in the Industrial Age A.The Populist movement 1.What was the Populist movement? Grassroots protest (bottom up) movement that had its origins in the 1870s - It opposed the increasing power of big business and concentrated wealth in American society The political cartoons that follow were drawn from Populist newspapers largely in the Midwest and upper South. They illustrate the concerns that motivated the movement. Most are taken from http://clio.missouristate.edu/wrmiller/populism/ Texts/Introduction.htm 2.The Populist movement drew support from small farmers who felt they were abused and taken advantage of by: (31) Banks - Whose credit policies often denied farmers operating credit which forced them to accept harder terms from mortgage companies which were quick to foreclose when famers (who faced declining crop prices) fell behind on their loans (32) Railroad monopolies - Charged western farmers rates much higher than they charged their eastern customers (railroads were often monopolies). Railroads often owned grain elevators and had similar monopoly power in that market. (33) The national government which farmers believed was dominated by monopoly interests. The government which maintained a tight (non inflationary) money policy (gold standard) which was good for bankers but hard on indebted farmers. (34.1-10) These farmers were joined by workers who sought better working conditions and wages. 3.The movement started at the state and local level, running candidates for state and local government, but eventually was transformed into a national political movement electing members of Congress. 4.(35) In 1892 the Movement went national with the formation of the Peoples Party, which was meant to be an alternative to the Democratic and Republican Parties which were both believed to be controlled by big business. 5.The Populist Party platform
a.(36) In 1892 the Peoples Party Nominated James Weaver for President. Weaver ran on a platform that called for limits on both government and big business. Here are five elements of that platform (37.1) We demand free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1. We demand that the amount of circulating medium be speedily increased to not less than $50 per capita. (37.2) We demand a graduated income tax. (37.3) We believe that the money of the country should be kept as much as possible in the hands of the people, and hence we demand that all State and national revenues shall be limited to the necessary expenses of the government, economically and honestly administered. (37.4) Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity, the government should own and operate the railroads in the interest of the people. The telegraph, telephone, like the post-office system, being a necessity for the transmission of news, should be owned and operated by the government in the interest of the people. (37.5) The land, including all the natural sources of wealth, is the heritage of the people, and should not be monopolized for speculative purposes, and alien ownership of land should be prohibited. All land now held by railroads and other corporations in excess of their actual needs, and all lands now owned by aliens should be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settlers only. (37.6) 6.Successes and failures. (38) The peoples Party lost the elections of 1892 and 1896, but many of their reforms were later adopted by the Progressive movement. B.(40) Early efforts at Regulating Big Business 1.(41) The Interstate Commerce Commission, 1887 The ICC - Law passed in 1887 by Congress to regulate the railroads. In theory it was supposed to allow government to set maximum rates, but in practice the law was largely ineffective. 2.(42) The Sherman Anti-trust Act, 1890 In 1890 Congress passed the Sherman Anti-trust act. This was an attempt to prevent the formation of monopolies that hurt competition. It was almost completely ineffective as the courts through out almost all cases brought before them 3.Both laws were ineffective largely due to the influence of big business. C.(43) The Progressive movement 1.What was the Progressive movement? The Progressive movement was an early 20th century middle class political reform movement made that sought to return control of government to the people, curb the power of big business and correct social injustices. (43.2-5) 2. (44) Motivating a movement - the Muckrakers Investigative Journalists People who often had wide middle class readerships People dedicated to exposing injustice and inequality in their writings
a. (45) Jacob Riis - How the Other Half Lives (1890) - Called attention to the poverty and filth of industrial cities and living conditions for their immigrant residents. b.(46) Frank Norris - The Octopus (1901) Novel that described the hold that the Southern Pacific Railroad had on California politics. c.(47) Ida Tarbel - The History of the Standard Oil Company published in 1904 called attention to the power of monopolies had in both economic and political life. This led to political pressure to regulate big business in the interest of the public good. d.(48) Lincoln Steffens - The Shame of the Cities (1904) called attention to the corruption of political machines. This motivated state and local reforms to limit the power of corrupt political machines. e.(49) Upton Sinclair - The Jungle (1906) Called attention both to the poor conditions of immigrant workers and also to the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry. His book helped motivate food safety laws and work safety regulations. (50) 3.(51) Local progressivism - Sought to break the power of political machines, reduce the influence of immigrant voters 3 key reforms: Ward elections replaced by city-wide, at large elections which were more expensive and thus favored middle class political organizers Patronage jobs replaced by trained professional managers. The city manager model led to greater efficiency in urban government but less voice for immigrant communities. Public ownership of utilities (water, gas electricity) 4.(52) State Progressivism Reforming governor s such as Hiram Johnson in California and Robert La Follette in Wisconsin sought to limit the influence of Big business in their states by professionalizing state government and implementing (53) direct democracy reforms that put legislative power in the hands of the people: Initiative - a law proposed by reformers that was voted on directly by the people of a state instead of its state legislatures. Referendum - Allowed voters to approve or reject laws passed by the state legislature. Recall - Allowed the removal of public official from office before the end of their terms.
5.National Progressivism (54) a.(55.1-3) Teddy Roosevelt s progressive agenda i.(56) Conserving Natural Resources - Focused on preserving natural resources for future generations - not necessarily environmentalism. TR s conservation policies Triple National forest reserves (56.2) Established dozens of wildlife reserves (56.3) Established Bureau of Reclamation (1902) - This used federal money to construct Dams, reservoirs and irrigation canals in the arid West. Millions of acres that had been barren could now be farmed (56.4) ii.(57.1-4) Regulating big business - TR did not want to dismantle big business, but rather he believed the government had a responsibility to establish rules and regulations that business would follow. He also sought to make the government more neutral in the struggle between labor and capital. Northern Securities Case (1902) - First use of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to break up a monopoly ( in this case a railroad monopoly owned by financier JP Morgan). TR went on to file 44 more anti-trust suits to break up monopoly, including one against Standard Oil. Coal strike of 1902 - When a coal mine threatened the heating sources of many easterners, TR refused to send the army in to break the strike (as the mine owners wanted), but rather ordered both the union and owners to sit down and talk. The result was salary increases and reduced hours but no recognition of the union. TR believed it was the President s role to be a neutral mediator Hepburn Act (1906) - Authorized the ICC to set maximum railroad rates. First successful regulation of private enterprise iii.(58) Protecting Consumers - Both laws were motivated by the Jungle and both further extended government regulations on private enterprise Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) Meat Inspection Act b. Woodrow Wilson s Progressive agenda i.regulating Big Business Clayton Anti Trust Act (1914) - Strengthened enforcement of the Sherman anti-trust act and exempted unions from anti-trust suits Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) - Established the FTC which served as a federal watchdog to ensure federal regulations (and antitrust laws) were followed. ii.the Federal Reserve System (1913) - Established a national banking system that had the power to regulate member banks. iii.protecting Workers
Keating Owen Act (1916) - The first national law restricting child labor 1916 Railroad strike (1916) - Wilson helped negotiate an end to the strike by pushing a law that established an 8 hour day for railroad workers. iv. Miscellaneous reforms Amendment XVI (1913) - Progressive income tax Amendment XVII (1917) - Direct election of Senators c.what did the Progressive movement achieve?