Hist 2-3-25

Overview of the Nineteenth Century Context

  • Period marked by simultaneous occurrences and developments across various regions in the U.S.

    • Expansion to the West

    • Post-war South: Reconstruction and Redemption

    • Industrialization in Northeast and Midwest

  • All these regions are interconnected primarily through railroads.

Key Events and Amendments (Post-Civil War)

  • 1865 Onwards:

    • Establishment of private railroad police in Pennsylvania.

    • Significant events include:

      • Lincoln's assassination.

      • Thirteenth Amendment (abolition of slavery).

      • Civil Rights Act protecting the rights of free people in the South.

      • First post-war robbery by the James-Younger gang.

      • The Fort Laramie Treaty in the West and Congressional Reconstruction.

  • Subsequent amendments:

    • Fourteenth Amendment: Complex and significant for civil rights.

    • Fifteenth Amendment: Prohibition of vote denial based on race.

    • Enforcement Act: Federal law enforcement in the South by the U.S. Army.

Industrialization and Labor Movements

  • Late 19th Century Dynamics:

    • Industrialization leads to increasing conflicts in the workforce.

    • Emergence of significant labor unions like the Knights of Labor.

    • Key strikes include:

      • Great Southwest Railroad Strike

      • Hocking Valley Coal Strike

  • Tensions and violence escalate due to wage cuts and control disputes between workers and management.

Legislative Responses and Changes

  • Interstate Commerce Act:

    • Established federal oversight over interstate trade.

    • Aimed at regulating rates and practices of railroads.

    • Resulted from growing frustration with railroad companies' practices.

  • Sherman Antitrust Act:

    • Outlawed collusive practices that limited competition in interstate commerce.

    • Both acts aimed at addressing issues linked with railroads' monopolistic practices.

Major Strikes and Violent Incidents

  • Violence against Strikers:

    • Increasing use of private armies (Pinkertons) by companies to handle strikes.

    • Notable incidents:

      • Haymarket Affair: Clash between police and strikers during an eight-hour workday rally.

      • Homestead Strike: Carnegie Steel's approach involved militarizing responses to worker demands.

  • Congressional Investigations:

    • Following significant violence, Congress began investigatory proceedings to understand and respond to the causes of labor unrest.

Economic Trends and Tariffs

  • Tariffs and Economic Policy:

    • McKinley Tariff raises the cost of foreign steel to protect domestic industry.

    • Tariffs were intended less for revenue and more to shield American industries like Carnegie Steel.

  • Increased consolidation and monopoly through strategic actions by industrialists (e.g., Carnegie, Rockefeller).

Impact on Labor and Immigration

  • Discriminatory attitudes towards immigrants reflected in investigations and public opinion during labor disputes.

  • Blame placed on immigrants (often Eastern European) for agitation and unrest among workers, complicating legislative responses.

Pullman Strike and Government Intervention

  • Pullman Strike of 1894:

    • Triggered by wage cuts in the company town owned by Pullman, leading to nationwide disruptions in the railway system.

    • The federal government intervened with military force citing disruption of US mail as justification.

    • Resulted in violence and a national reckoning over labor unrest and corporate power.

Conclusion and Reflections

  • The interconnected nature of events exemplified the growing tensions between labor rights, industrial power, and legislative oversight.

  • Key legislative actions (like the Anti-Pinkerton Act) and public sentiment towards labor and corporations enriched the ongoing dialogue on workers’ rights and state intervention.