LABOR in the Gilded Age: APUSH Review Unit 6 Topic 7

Overview

• Focus on labor in the Gilded Age (1865-1898)
• Era notable for massive immigration and industrial capitalism
• Significant socioeconomic changes and continuities

Socioeconomic Context

• Growth of industrial capitalism created a large gap between rich and poor
• Conspicuous Consumption: Wealthy showcased their wealth (e.g., Biltmore House by Vanderbilts)
• Poverty was widespread; working-class faced economic difficulties during Panics of 1873 and 1893
• Despite rising wages, standard of living improved but not uniformly for workers

Labor Unions

• Formed to fight for better wages and working conditions
• Employed tactics such as political action, slowdowns, and strikes

Key Labor Movements

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

• Initiated after railroad companies cut wages
• Resulted in violent clashes; President Hayes deployed federal troops
• Demonstrated the growing power and frustration of labor movements

Pullman Strike (1894)

• Wage cuts by George Pullman during the Panic of 1893 led to strike
• Eugene V. Debs led the protest that involved not working on Pullman cars
• Federal intervention led to arrest of Debs and highlighted tension between labor and government

Major Labor Organizations

Knights of Labor

• Inclusive national union
• Goals: Abolish child labor, dismantle trusts and monopolies
• Membership peak at 700,000; influenced labor rights
• Decline after association with Haymarket Square Riot in 1886 (wrongly linked to violence)

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

• Coalition of craft workers led by Samuel Gompers
• Focused on higher wages and safer working conditions
• Grew to 1 million members, emphasizing pragmatic labor negotiations

Significant Events

Haymarket Square Riot (1886)

• Peaceful labor protest for 8-hour workday turned violent after a bomb explosion
• Resulted in negative public perception of labor movements, particularly affecting Knights of Labor

Child Labor

• Exploitation of child labor was a critical issue
• Labor movements aimed to abolish child labor and improve overall working conditions

Conclusion

• Labor in the Gilded Age marked by struggle for rights and recognition
• Union movements had varying degrees of success and faced significant challenges
• Set the stage for future labor rights advancements and government regulations