Rise of Labor Unions, Stein Vocabulary

labor union

A labor union is an
association of workers who
join together to promote and
protect the welfare, interest,
and rights of its members by
a process called Collective
Bargaining.

Knights of Labor

An American labor union
originally established as a
secret fraternal order and noted
as the first union of all workers.
It was founded in 1869.

American Federation of
Labor

Began in 1886 with about
140,000 members; by 1917 it
had 2.5 million members. It is a
federation of different unions.
Founded by Samuel
Gompers

Collective Bargaining

Discussions held between workers and
their employers over wages, hours, and conditions.

TACTICS OF LABOR - STRIKE

This is a work stoppage intended to force an employer to respond
to workers demands.

Haymarket Riot: May 1, 1886

Workers went on strike in favor of 8 hour work day- gathered in front of McCormick
machine factory in Chicago- an anarchist threw a dynamite bomb at police and
killed one; then police opened fire and 6 cops and 4 demonstrators died

Homestead Strike: June 30, 1892

Steelworkers went on strike at Carnegies steelworks at Homestead Pennsylvania
eventually the state militia was called in. Carnegies partner Henry Frick brought
in strike breakers (Scabs) to run the mill. The union eventually collapsed

Pullman Strike: May 11, 1894

Workers in pull man Illinois went on strike to protest George Pullman who lowered
wages for his workers, but did not lower rents. Labor leader Eugene V. Debs
(helped form the American Railway Union)called on them to strike. President
Cleveland sent in the military on grounds that the mail had to be delivered and the
strike interfered with interstate commerce- destroyed the railway union

Urbanization

the social process whereby
cities grow and societies become more urban

Assimilation

to absorb into the culture of
where you are living

Communism

common ownership of the means of production and the
absence of social classes, money and the state. Revolution will put the working
class in power and in turn establish social ownership of the means of production.

Socialism

social ownership and democratic control of the
means of production-is an economic system while communism is both an
economic and political system. ... Socialists can own personal
properties while communists cannot. Socialism allows capitalism to
exist in its midst while communism seeks to get rid of capitalism.

Tenements

Housing that meets minimum
standards for safety and sanitation- usually
overcrowded

Purpose

Traded services for poor in exchange for votes

Structure

Boss Wards precinct captains

Locations

Most infamous NY- Tammany Hall 1850s- 1930s
(Democrats); but in many cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia & San
Francisco

WILLIAM M. TWEED

Political Boss that was the head of the New York City Political
Democratic Machine called Tammany Hall. He ran the machine in
the late 1860's and early 1870's.
Under his leadership, the "Tweed Ring" stole as much as $200
million
dollars from the city.

Old Immigrants (before 1880)

most came to escape religious
and political persecution or great hardships. Example; the Irish
came because of potato famine in 1840. They spoke English

New Immigrants (1880-1924)

from southern and eastern
Europe- Italians, poles, Jews, and Greeks came in large numbers;
many were poor and uneducated- they came to escape religious
and political persecution.

ELLIS ISLAND

Located in New York Harbor, it served as
an immigration station for millions of immigrants arriving in the U.S.
from Europe between 1892 and 1954.

ANGEL ISLAND

Asians-primarily Chinese, arriving on the U.S. West Coast were
processed at this immigration station in San Francisco Bay,
California between
1910 and 1940.

CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT

A law, enacted in 1882, that prohibited
All Chinese except students,
teachers, merchants, tourists,
and government officials from
entering the U.S. The law was
not repealed until 1943.

GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT

In San Francisco the Board of Education in 1906 took all
Asian school children and placed them special Asian
Schools. As a result Anti-American riots broke out in
Japan. In 1907-1908 an agreement was reached in which
Japan agreed to limit Japanese
emigration to the U.S. and in return
San Francisco withdrew its
segregation orders.

NATIVISM

An anti-foreign feeling that arose in the 1840's and
1850's in response to the influx of Irish and German
Catholics.

Agricultural Overproduction

-Opening of Great Plains; meant more farmers
-Improved machinery meant more production
-International competition- RR & Steamboat created new markets

Scarcity of Money

Gov't stopped minting silver; As population grew
& value of goods grew there wasn't enough money in circulation

High Shipping costs

RR could charge what they want

Farm debt and cost of money

Banks charged high interest on
loans

High cost of Manufactured products

Kerosene, fertilizer,
machinery

Sherman Silver Purchase
Act (1890)

Repealed in 1893 when country
was in depression. Required Gov't to purchase a large
amount of silver each month-
Farmers hoped it would increase
the money supply

The Grange

Grange Movement
(1867)
Started by Oliver
Hudson

GRANGE
MOVEMENT

National Association of Farmers
Wanted to modernize farming, Elected candidates in state
legislature, Passed laws regulating RR and
grain storage rates.

Granger laws

Elected state
legislatures who
passed new laws
regulating railroad
rates and grain storage
rates

POPULIST PARTY (1892-
1896)

Farmers formed regional Political Associations- Farmers Alliances
Early 1890's Farmers Alliances leaders formed a new national
political party; "Peoples Party" better known as Populist Party

POPULIST PLATFORM OF
1892- OMAHA PLATFORM

Key provisions;
Direct election of senators
Secret ballots
8 hour workday for industrial workers
Term limit for presidents(they wanted only one)
Initiatives(voters could introduce bills directly on ballot)
Referendums (direct vote on an issue- voters could change proposed
legislation
They got 5 Senators elected

ELECTION OF 1896

Populists wanted free coinage of silver; the money supply was still low and they
thought this would increase money supply

Democratic convention 1896

Grover Cleveland (incumbent) Dem

Free silver democrats defeated Clevelands supporters

William Jennings Bryan
won nomination- delivered famous Cross of Gold Speech
Mckinley (Rep) defeated Bryan
Bryan ran again in 1900 & 1908 and lost

MUNN V. ILLINOIS
(1877)

Illinois passed law regulating grain elevators
Supreme court ruled that state Gov't could regulate a private utility
if that utility was serving the public interest

Wabash V. Illinois (1886)

invalidated many Granger laws-
Supreme court ruled that states could not sue railroads as they
were subject to interstate commerce rules and therefore only the
federal government could regulate them

Interstate Commerce Act

(1887) in response to Wabash case