Labor Strikes and Social Movements in APUSH Unit 6

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Triggered by a wage cut by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad—the third cut that year.

Outcome of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Nationwide walkouts and riots; federal troops were deployed; over 50 people killed.

Common worker grievances during industrial busts in the late 1800s

Low wages, long hours, unsafe conditions, child labor, and no job security.

Founder of the Knights of Labor

Terence Powderly in 1869.

Membership of the Knights of Labor

Skilled and unskilled workers, women, and Black workers—but not Chinese immigrants.

Main goals of the Knights of Labor

Workplace safety, child labor abolition, equal pay for women, and cooperative ownership of production.

Preferred tactic of the Knights of Labor

Arbitration and education over strikes.

Haymarket Riot (1886)

A bomb was thrown at police during a labor protest; police fired into the crowd; chaos and arrests followed.

Effect of the Haymarket Riot on labor unions

Public opinion turned against unions, damaging the Knights of Labor's reputation.

Founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Samuel Gompers in 1886.

Membership of the AFL

Only skilled workers; excluded women, Black workers, and unskilled laborers.

AFL's strategy

"Pure and simple unionism"—focused solely on better wages, hours, and working conditions.

Corporate tactics used against unions

Yellow-dog contracts, blacklists, lockouts, and hiring strikebreakers (often immigrants or Black workers).

Homestead Strike (1892)

Henry Clay Frick cut wages, locked out workers, and used Pinkertons to protect scabs.

Cause of the Pullman Strike of 1894

Pullman cut wages but kept rents high in company-owned housing during the Depression.

Leader of the Pullman Strike

Eugene V. Debs and the American Railway Union (ARU).

Federal government response to the Pullman Strike

President Cleveland sent troops, citing disruption of mail and interstate commerce.

Key characteristic of class stratification in the Gilded Age

A widening gap between industrial elites, middle-class professionals, and impoverished working-class laborers.

Reason women and children entered the workforce during the late 1800s

Deskilled jobs made factory work more accessible; families needed extra income.

Lewis Hine's contribution to labor reform

He used photography to expose the abuses of child labor.

Jobs typically limited to African American women and men

Women: domestic work; Men: service jobs like porters and janitors.

Major trend in immigration post-1865

Over 25 million immigrants arrived, mostly from Southern/Eastern Europe, Mexico, and Asia.

Challenges faced by new immigrants

Low wages, dangerous conditions, circular migration, and xenophobia.

Fears behind nativist backlash

That immigrants lowered wages, took jobs, and caused social unrest.

Page Act of 1875

It barred Chinese women from immigrating, targeting supposed prostitution.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Banned Chinese laborers from entering the U.S.—first race-based immigration law.

Leader of anti-Chinese movements

Dennis Kearney.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Carnegie Steel workers were locked out by Frick; violence erupted when Pinkertons arrived; the union was defeated.

Social Darwinism

A belief that economic success was due to natural selection; promoted by William Graham Sumner.

Justification of inequality by Social Darwinism

It claimed the wealthy were more 'fit' and opposed aid to the poor.

Goal of the Eugenics movement

To improve the gene pool by discouraging reproduction among the 'unfit.'

Eugenics laws in the U.S.

Laws in over 30 states that allowed forced sterilizations and banned interracial marriage.

Targets of eugenics policies

People with disabilities, the mentally ill, immigrants, and people of color.

Social Gospel movement advocacy

That Christians should address social issues like poverty and poor labor conditions.

Religious Fundamentalists' beliefs (late 1800s-early 1900s)

A literal interpretation of the Bible; focus on personal salvation over social reform.

Evolution of evangelism and revivalism in the Gilded Age

They adapted to urban settings and modern media to reach larger audiences.

Literary Realism

A movement that portrayed the harsh realities of life and human conditions, focusing on ordinary people and rejecting romantic idealism.

American Protective Association (APA)

A nativist, anti-Catholic group founded in 1887 that opposed Catholic influence in schools and government.

APA demands in public schools and politics

Only Protestant teachers and a ban on Catholic officeholders.

Supreme Court decision legalizing segregation

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

Significance of Plessy v. Ferguson

It upheld racial segregation and reinforced systemic discrimination.

Antiquities Act (1906)

Gave the president the authority to protect historic and natural sites as national monuments.

Consumer culture reflection of class divisions in the Gilded Age

Middle/upper classes accessed luxuries like electricity and phones; working-class families were often excluded.

Conspicuous consumption

The display of wealth through expensive purchases to signal status.

Declining fertility rates in the late 1800s

Later marriages, extended breastfeeding, and access to contraceptives like condoms and diaphragms.

Comstock Act (1873)

Legislation that restricted the distribution of contraceptives and information about them.

Federal law banning obscene materials

A federal law that banned the distribution of "obscene" materials, including contraceptives, through the mail.

Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

A reform group founded in 1874 that fought alcohol abuse and promoted women's moral leadership.

Frances Willard

Led the WCTU and expanded its focus to include social reform from 1879.

Activities of the WCTU

Engaged in soup kitchens, kindergartens, libraries, lobbying for labor laws and women's suffrage.

Tenements

Overcrowded, unsanitary apartment buildings that housed poor urban families.

Urban reforms for tenements

Housing codes for better ventilation, lighting, and fire escapes.

Yellow journalism

Sensationalized news reporting, exemplified by competition between Hearst and Pulitzer.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption, corporate greed, and political abuse.

Political machines

Local party organizations that controlled city governments by trading services for votes.

Private City model in the Gilded Age

Cities relied on private companies for utilities like water and transportation, often prioritizing profit over public service due to minimal government regulation.

Tammany Hall

A powerful political machine in NYC that helped immigrants with jobs and housing in exchange for votes.

Difference between honest graft and corruption

"Honest graft" meant profiting legally from insider knowledge, while corruption involved illegal activities like kickbacks and fraud.

Hull House

A settlement house in Chicago founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Starr that provided social services to immigrants, including childcare, education, and health services.

Inspiration for Hull House

Toynbee Hall, a British settlement house focused on education and community support.

Impact of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

It exposed unsanitary meatpacking conditions and led to federal food safety regulations.

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Required accurate labeling of food and drugs and created the FDA to enforce safety standards.

National Consumers' League

A reform group led by Florence Kelley that promoted labor protections for women and children through public campaigns and boycotts.

Women's Trade Union League

United working-class and wealthy women to support union organizing and improve labor conditions, especially for garment workers.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911)

A deadly NYC factory fire that killed 146, mostly young immigrant women, due to unsafe conditions; led to 56 new labor laws.

Pendleton Act of 1883

Established the Civil Service Commission to fill federal jobs based on merit, not political loyalty.

Lodge Bill

Proposed federal protection of voting rights; allowed federal intervention if 100 citizens requested it, but it failed to pass.

Farmers' Alliances

Organizations that promoted cooperative buying/selling to reduce reliance on middlemen and gain economic power for farmers.

Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

To regulate railroad practices, prohibit unfair pricing, and establish the ICC to oversee fair rates—marking the start of federal regulation.

Populist Party

Agrarian political movement opposing monopolies; supported the Omaha Platform: free silver, income tax on the wealthy, government control of railroads, and direct election of senators.

Depression of the 1890s

Panic of 1893 led to bank failures and unemployment; exposed instability of the gold standard.

Gold standard supporters

Republicans (like McKinley); believed it ensured financial stability and protected elite interests.

Understanding Clause and Grandfather Clause

Laws in Mississippi and Louisiana used to suppress Black voting by requiring constitutional knowledge or a voting ancestor before 1867.

Williams v. Mississippi (1898)

Upheld literacy tests and poll taxes, legalizing racial voter suppression; Black voter turnout fell from 70% to 30%.

17th Amendment (1913)

Mandated direct election of U.S. Senators by the people, not state legislatures.

Lochner v. New York (1905)

Declared a 60-hour workweek law for bakers unconstitutional, limiting labor protections.

Theodore Roosevelt's approach to trusts

As a 'trust buster,' he broke up bad trusts (like Northern Securities) but tolerated good ones; filed 44 antitrust suits.

Roosevelt's environmental policies

Created national parks, forests, and reserves; founded the U.S. Forest Service; passed the Newlands Reclamation Act to irrigate dry lands.

Roosevelt's long-term legacies

Expanded presidential and federal power, promoted business regulation and conservation, and pushed the Republican Party toward progressivism.

Du Bois and Washington's approach to Black rights

Du Bois pushed for immediate equality; Washington favored gradual economic improvement and vocational education.

Eugene V. Debs

Socialist leader and unionist who ran for president; wanted public control of major industries, labor rights, and wealth redistribution.

Woodrow Wilson's "New Freedom" platform

Aimed to restore competition by breaking trusts, reducing tariffs, and reforming banking; promoted limited government.

16th Amendment (1913)

Legalized a federal income tax to replace lost tariff revenue.

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

Created a central banking system with 12 regional banks; allowed the federal government to control interest rates, credit, and money supply.

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

Strengthened antitrust laws and protected labor unions from being prosecuted as trusts; made corporate leaders accountable.

Adamson Act (1916)

Mandated an 8-hour workday and overtime pay for railroad workers.

Seamen's Act (1915)

Improved working conditions for sailors—established minimum standards and protected them from abuse.

Roosevelt and Wilson on civil rights

No—both largely ignored civil rights issues during their presidencies.