Labor Unrest Unionization and the Populist Party Chapters 23-24 The Changing American Labor Force By 1880, 5 million people worked in factories. What were the working conditions like? Unsafe: 1882-675 workers killed/week Low wages: Men averaged $500 a year (1899) Women averaged $267 a year (1899) Long hours: 12 hr. days/6 days per wk. Unsafe machinery Sweatshops Workers had few rights Workers were easily replaced. 1
Unionization Nationally Unionization movement began again after Civil War. 1866: National Labor Union 600,000 members by early 1870s Several craft unions combined Skilled, unskilled, farmers also included Call for 8 hour day Disagreements and Depression of 1873 killed it. Depression of 1873 Caused by overconstruction of railroads, failure of banks, businesses, removal of paper money from circulation (contraction) After Depression (1877ish), unionization increased again Workers Protest As companies pooled their strength, workers realized they needed to as well for their voice to be heard. Hidden protests: work slow downs, sick days, disciplining the over-achiever Increased use of the strike in the late 19th c. 2
Labor Unrest: 1870-1900 Great Railroad Strike (1877) Nationwide railroad strike over reduced wages Workers destroyed railroad property Federal troops sent in 100 die Propertied classes saw this as the beginning of a revolution The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 3
Knights of Labor Terence V. Powderly An injury to one is the concern of all! Goals of the Knights of Eight-hour workday.. Labor Abolition of child and prison labor. Increased circulation of greenbacks. Equal pay for men and women. Safety codes in the workplace. Prohibition of contract foreign labor. Abolition of the National Bank. Open to all laborers except for the idle ad corrupt Haymarket Riot (1886) McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. 4
Haymarket Riot (1886) Chicago police try to disperse Bomb explodes killing 7 police Eight anarchists tried and convicted (3 were executed) Businesses now try to crush unions Hurt unionization in mainstream America--linked to anarchy Haymarket Martyrs End of Knights of Labor Haymarket fear, disagreements over membership of blacks and women, unauthorized strikes killed the Knights of Labor by 1890s 5
The American Federation of Labor: 1886 Samuel Gompers How the AF of L Would Help the Workers Catered to the skilled worker. Pushed for closed shops. Used the strike to its advantage Saw average workweek drop from 54 hours a week to 49 hours a week Saw pay increase from $17.50 a week to $24. AFL Grows 1900: 1 million members Rejected blacks, women, unskilled 6
Working Class Setbacks Workers lost many battles Owners often supported by government and troops Use of scabs Unskilled workers could be replaced Economic depressions in 1873 and 1893 But workers kept organizing Homestead Steel Strike (1892) The Amalgamated Association of Iron & Steel Workers Homestead Steel Works Homestead Strike (1892) Owned by Andrew Carnegie Carnegie locked out workers when they refused a wage decreased Armed guards and fences protected the building Gun battle brought in 8000 troops to crush the strike and the union 7
The Pullman Strike of 1894 Pullman Strike (1894) Pullman required workers live in a company town. 1893: Pullman cuts wages by 1/3, laid off workers and did not cut rents and prices Demanded increased output Pullman union leader was Eugene V. Debs (AFL) Pullman (1894) Continued Major strike and sympathy strikes Pullman Co. and Railroad companies ask federal government to get court injunction to end strike Grover Cleveland sent in troops to enforce injunction 8
Violence at Pullman Violence burning of cars, $340,000 in damage, death Strike collapses and several leaders were arrested Supreme Court ruled in 1895 injunctions to stop strikes were illegal Some in Unions Lose Faith in American Capitalism Some don t see the advantage of working within the system Some become more radical Some turned to socialism (Eugene Debs) Formation of a socialist union International Workers of the World Hurt reputation of unions in the mainstream The Socialists Eugene V. Debs 9
International Workers of the World ( Wobblies ) Big Bill Haywood of the IWW M Violence was justified to overthrow capitalism. Mother Jones: The Miner s Angel M Mary Harris. M Organizer for the United Mine Workers. M Founded the Social Democratic Party in 1898. M Led children s march to White House in 1903 M One of the founding members of the I. W. W. in 1905. 10
The Formula unions + violence + strikes + socialists + immigrants = anarchists The Silver Issue Ø Crime of 73 à govt. stopped coining silver (one of reasons for Depression). Ø Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) Increased coinage of silver Reaction to pressure from silver mines and farmers who wanted silver in circulation to cause inflation Treasury bought silver with special Treasury Notes Investors could redeem their Notes for silver or gold 11
Causes of the 1893 Panic Ø Ø Begun 10 days after Cleveland took office. 1. Several major corps. went bankrupt. Over 16,000 businesses disappeared. Europe reduced importation of American manufacturing causing failures Triggered a stock market crash. Over-extended investments. 2. Bank failures followed causing a contraction of credit [nearly 500 banks closed]. 3. By 1895, unemployment reached 3 million. Americans cried out for relief, but the Govt. continued its laissez faire policies!! Effects of Depression of 1893 Social inequalities brought to forefront Democratic party hurt (in power) Working class hurt more than upper classes Gold reserve dropped to $41 million (considered an emergency if it dropped to $100 million) Biggest reason: investors did not trust silver and began to buy gold with Treasury Notes Sherman Silver Purchase Act Repealed (1894) This Act backfired on its supporters Most investors cashed their Treasury Notes for gold draining the Treasury of gold reserve Since dollar was backed by gold, it caused value of dollar to drop Act repealed to stop drainage of gold out of Treasury outrage of Republicans and Populists because it caused the U.S. currency to be unstable 1895: J.P. Morgan and other investors kept the economy from collapsing by loaning the government millions in gold (they had hoarded) 12
Coxey s Army, 1894 Ø Jacob Coxey & his Army of the Commonwealth of Christ. Ø March on Washington à hayseed socialists! Result of Election Returns Ø Populist vote increased by 40% in the bi-election year, 1894. Ø Democratic party losses in the West were catastrophic! Ø But, Republicans won control of the House. Cleveland Loses Support Fast! «The only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms. «Blamed for the 1893 Panic. «Defended the gold standard. «Used federal troops in the 1894 Pullman strike. «Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. 13
Bryant s Cross of Gold Speech You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold! (in response to Republican pro-gold standard plank) Democratic Party Taken Over by the Agrarian Left Platform à tariff reductions; income tax; stricter control of the trusts (esp. RRs); free silver. 14
William McKinley (1843-1901) The Seasoned Politician vs. The Young Newcomer Republican Platform Platform à Ø High protective tariff Ø Uphold gold standard (won him goldbug democratic vote) Ø Irony: McKinley had been very pro-silver in Congress Ø Very pro-industry (which won him a lot of financial support). 15
1896 Election Results Why Did Bryan Loose? Ø His focus on silver undermined efforts to build bridges to urban voters. Ø Split in Democratic party. Ø Lingering resentment over Depression of 1893. Ø McKinley s campaign was wellorganized and highly funded. Why Did Populism Decline? 1. The economy experienced rapid change. 2. The era of small producers and farmers was fading away. 3. Race divided the Populist Party, especially in the South. 4. The Populists were not able to break existing party loyalties. 5. Most of their agenda was co-opted by the Democratic Party. 16