Detailed Study Notes on Labor Movements, Social Reform, and Western Transformation in Late 19th Century America

Barred Combinations and the Sherman Act

  • Barred combinations in restraint of trade cannot break sugar refining monopolies due to the Constitution giving Congress regulatory power over commerce, not manufacturing.
  • Courts prevented labor organization despite Congress's reluctance to regulate the economy.
  • The Sherman Act was primarily used by judges to impose injunctions against strikes, considering them illegal interference with trade.

Lochner v. New York (1905)

  • The Supreme Court voided a state law that limited bakers to a maximum of ten hours per day or sixty hours per week, citing violation of 'liberty.'
  • The Court interpreted liberty in absurd ways, particularly in cases like the prohibition of yellow-dog contracts requiring nonunion membership.
  • Workers felt their freedom was guaranteed in meaningless ways while real liberties were denied.

The Labor Question and the Great Railroad Strike of 1877

  • Class divisions heightened in public debate, transitioning from slavery issues to labor concerns.
  • The Great Railroad Strike marked the first national labor walkout, resulting in violence and property destruction after military intervention.
  • Strikers demonstrated solidarity among workers, showcasing the Republican Party's links to industrialists.

Aftermath of the Great Railroad Strike

  • Post-1877, the federal government prepared to manage labor unrest by constructing armories in cities, showing a shift from protecting former slaves to ensuring property rights.

Knights of Labor

  • Established in the 1880s under Terence V. Powderly, the Knights aimed to unite unskilled workers, women, and racial minorities (excluding Asian workers).
  • Achieved nearly 800,000 members by 1886, advocating for an eight-hour workday, public employment, and other reforms.

Middle-Class Reformers

  • Broader societal dissatisfaction led to over 150 novels predicting social conflict's resolution.
  • Influential texts included Henry George's Progress and Poverty, Laurence Gronlund's The Cooperative Commonwealth, and Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward.
  • These works reflected a widespread consciousness regarding economic inequality.

Economic Disparity Solutions

  • Henry George proposed a single tax on real estate value increases to combat economic distress.
  • Laurence Gronlund's book popularized socialism as a peaceful process towards ensuring equitable wealth distribution.
  • Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward depicted an egalitarian future through collaboration, inspiring many reformist movements.

Moral Legislation and the Social Gospel

  • The late nineteenth century saw mainstream Protestants, through organizations like the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, push for federal laws addressing societal moral issues.
  • The Social Gospel Movement emerged, advocating for wealth redistribution and social justice aligned with Christian principles.

Haymarket Affair (1886)

  • On May 1, 1886, labor protests for an eight-hour workday culminated in violence during rallies in Chicago, leading to the infamous Haymarket bombing.
  • The aftermath saw heightened scrutiny and demonization of the labor movement, equating it with violence and radicalism.

Labor Politics

  • Henry George's mayoral campaign in New York expressed labor’s emerging political significance.
  • Despite setbacks, 1886 was a peak for the Knights of Labor, shedding light on growing labor voter power amidst employer hostility.

Economic Transformation of the West

  • Post-Civil War, western landscapes incorporated rapidly into the market economy, driven by federal involvement in agriculture, mining, and railroads.
  • Settlers transformed the Great Plains, with the Homestead Act facilitating the agricultural boom despite tremendous hardships.

Farming and Societal Changes

  • Farming on the Great Plains required intensive labor often performed by women, who faced significant daily burdens despite promises of prosperity.
  • The rise of corporate farming began pushing out family-owned farms, relying on migrant labor and industrial agriculture.

The Cattle Kingdom

  • The golden age of cattle ranching emerged after the Civil War, featuring mixed ethnic cowboy crews managing long-distance drives.
  • The establishment of enclosed ranches marked the end of open-range grazing, transitioning toward corporate ranching operations.

Conflict with Native Americans

  • As the transcontinental railroad facilitated settlement, it led to direct confrontations with Plains tribes, including a series of conflicts beginning in the 1850s.
  • Policies meeting resistance were implemented to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society, notably through the Dawes Act of 1887, which aimed to dissolve tribal lands into individual parcels.

The Ghost Dance and Wounded Knee

  • The Ghost Dance represented a sense of hope among Native Americans, foreseeing a return of ancestral customs.
  • The Wounded Knee massacre in 1890 marked the end of significant armed resistance, resulting in substantial casualties and the near complete destruction of Native American autonomy in the region.