Heimler's History: Labor in the Gilded Age

Introduction

• Focus: Labor during the Gilded Age (1865-1898)
• Gilded Age described as a mix of wealth (gold) overshadowed by significant socio-economic issues (turd).

Socioeconomic Continuities and Changes

• Industrial capitalism expanded significantly.
• Rich vs. Poor:
  • Wealthy business owners displayed wealth extravagantly (e.g., Vanderbilt's Biltmore House).
  • Poor faced low wages and economic hardship, worsened by economic crises like the Panic of 1873 and 1893.
• Despite economic disparity, mass production lowered prices, improving some standards of living.

Working Conditions and Challenges

• Factory, railroad, and mining work were dangerous.
• Attempts at improving work conditions by individual workers were largely unsuccessful due to the availability of replacement labor.

Formation and Impact of Labor Unions

• Role of Labor Unions:
  • United workers to demand better conditions and wages.
  • Employed tactics like political action, slowdowns, and strikes.

Notable Strikes

• Great Railroad Strike of 1877:
  • Wage cuts during recession led to a widespread strike.
  • Resulted in violence; federal troops intervened, over 100 deaths.
  • Demonstrated the power of unions, leading to negotiations.
• Pullman Strike (1894):
  • Wage cuts led to strikes directed by Eugene V. Debs.
  • Railroad owners retaliated by involving federal mail, causing federal intervention.
  • Union leaders jailed, strike ended.

Significant Labor Unions

• Knights of Labor (1881):
  • Open to all workers, including black laborers and women.
  • Goals: Abolish trusts, monopolies, and child labor.
  • Declined after Haymarket Square Riot of 1886.
• American Federation of Labor (AFL):
  • Led by Samuel Gompers, focused on craft workers.
  • Goals: Higher wages, safer conditions.
  • Continued impact into the next historical period.

Conclusion

• Labor unions played a crucial role in advancing workers' rights despite challenges.
• Further resources available for deeper understanding of Unit 6 and APUSH exam preparation.