Labor Movement in the Gilded Age

Analysis

What can we learn about the labor movement in the Gilded Age by comparing the Haymarket
Objective Riot, the Homestead Strike, the Pullman Strike, and the Ludlow Massacre?

Historical Context: Review the cartoon below and answer the two analysis questions that follow.

Knights shield reads “constitution and legislature”, horse armor reads

“monopoly”

Hat reads “Labor”, hammer reads “strike” and

Analysis Questions: horse reads “poverty”

1) Close Reading: Based on the images in the cartoon above, whom do you think would win the tournament
created by the illustrator - the monopolies or labor? Why?
a) The monopolies look like they have more power behind them, and the Labor looks more tired but
determined and does not have a lot of manpower behind them. I think the monopoly would win the
tournament.

2) Analysis: What do you think the illustrator is trying to say about the real-life battle between monopolies
and laborers?
a) The illustrator was trying to portray the picture that the monopoly has more power than the regular
labor people but, the people who are doing those hard labors are not giving up the fight.
 related events in US History from the Gilded Age. Read about your event, and fill out the table below based on
your reading. When your group is ready, should share the information about your Labor Movement event with the
group, using the information to complete the table below and the analysis questions that follow.

Event Industry People Involved What happened: Cause, Effect, Impact

Steel, railway, European immigrants, The cause was the rapid expansion of
and lumber mainly from Germany and industrialization after the panic of 1873, causing
industries. Bohemia work 60-100 hour monopolies to hire European immigrants for
Haymarket weeks. Notable Union unfair pay and insane work hours. The Effect was
Riot leaders were August Spies the formation of Unions to build safer workplaces
1886 and Albert Parsons. and get better pay/hours, this led to riots which
usually ended violently. The final impact was the
killing of Union leaders and new anti-
immigration movements.

Carnegie Steel Laborers The strike happened due to unfair wages to the
production Carnegie steel production union workers. Henry Clay Frick wanted to
Eastern Europe Immigrants increase product production but lowered wages
Homestead by 22%. The union workers rose up and fought
Strike against henry clay frick and the state’s army in a
1892 battle that led to deaths on both sides. Even with
people fighting, big corporations won and moved
to longer hours and lower wages. Even though it
inspired so many workers to fight for what they
want, they knew they needed to put up a better
fight the next time.

Automobile Pullman factory workers, During the economic depression of 1893,

ARU, Eugene Debs, grover George Pullman sought to preserve profits by
cleveland, US marshals, US
Pullman army troops, Lawyers, lowering labor costs - so he slashed his
Strike American Railways Union workforce by 1,200 workers and cut wages
1894 by 25 percent. The factory workers went on
strike by refusing to run trains that had
Pullman cars.
 Carolina Coal LudlowMineworkers The Ludlowmineworkerss were not getting
Miners John D. Rockefeller enough pay and they decided to go on strike.
Colorado mine industry Their leader wound up getting kidnapped and
killed and the union workers ended up getting
Ludlow killed, including innocent women and children.
Massacre The union strikers ended up calling off the strike.
1914 It started to investigate another issue which was
child labor.

Analysis Questions:

1) Analysis: What similarities or patterns do you notice among the causes of these events?
a) I see that all these are about union workers.

2) Analysis: What similarities or patterns do you notice among the effects and impacts of these
events?
a) The effects are the same because of all of the union workers ended up dying and each
event led to another event that ended the same exact way.
 3) Based on these four events, write two claims about the causes and/or effects of the labor
movement during the Gilded Age. Support each claim with evidence from at least two of the
events examined in this activity. See the example below:

The labor movement during the Gilded Age was mostly caused by low wages, however they were
largely unsuccessful.

● Evidence: Pullman Strike and Homestead Strike laborers wanted more wages, both times
the strike was put down by the US Army or national guard and the laborers did not win an
increase in wages.

During the Gilded Age, the labor movement was driven by union workers who were not given the correct pay they
deserve. The Haymarket Riot and the Homestead Riot were both driven by European people who did fight for their
fair wages but were killed in the process.

Haymarket Riot 1886

Historical Context: Following the Panic of 1873, there was a rapid expansion of industrial
production in the United States. To fuel this, factories and mills such as those found in the
steel, railways, and lumber industries, employed many new immigrants from Europe working
60 - 100 hour work weeks over 6 days, with wages as low as $1.50 per day ($37.64 in today’s
dollars). In Chicago, German and Bohemian immigrants organized unions to try and demand better
working conditions. Many of these organizers were also members of anarchist and socialist parties that
believed that capitalism was ruining America and squeezing the working class into poverty while the rich
simply became richer. Employers in Chicago responded to the forming of unions with anti-union
measures such as firing and blacklisting union members, locking out workers, and employing spies and
private security forces to harass workers. In 1884, the unions around the nation banded together and had
grown strong enough that they were able to lobby for an 8 hour work day. On May 1st they organized
rallies across the United States in support of the 8 hour work day. Their slogan was: “Eight hours for
work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what you will."

Events of the Haymarket Riot: On May 3, 1886, at a rally outside of a factory, union leader
August Spies gave a speech in which he told striking workers to stay calm and stand by their
union, or they would not succeed in their strike for better working conditions and an 8 hour
work day. At the end of his speech, the bell for the end of the work day rang out, and striking unionists
attacked men who had broken the strike and gone to work. In trying to calm the fights that followed this
attack, police opened fire, killing four demonstrators. The next day, workers held a vigil and rally at
Haymarket Square to protest the police killings. August Spies and fellow union leader Albert Parsons
gave speeches. At the end of the speeches, the police marched towards the protesters and asked them to
break up the rally and go home. As they advanced, gun shots were exchanged between the protesters and
the police, when suddenly a bomb exploded killing six police officers.

Effect and Impact: As a result of the Haymarket Square bombing, August Spies, Albert
Parsons, and 6 other union leaders were arrested. They were charged with inciting violence
and sentenced to death. Additionally, harsh anti-union measures were put into place by the
police including raiding and ransacking their offices without a warrant. The entire German and
Bohemian community came under suspicion, fueling an anti-immigrant movement. Additionally,
newspapers persecuted union leaders in the press, spreading an anti-union, anti-socialist sentiment
throughout the nation. The unions were weakened, laborers lost their battle for fairer working conditions,
and the interests of wealthy industrialists were protected.

Homestead Strike 1892

Historical Context: Owned by Carnegie Steel Company, the Homestead Steel Mill in
Pennsylvania became nationally known during the strike of 1892. Carnegie's corporation was
known for cutting costs associated with labor to achieve higher profit margins. In the early
1880’s, the standard work week at a Carnegie Company steel mill was about 85 hours a week;
laborers made about an average of $10 a week (about $250 in today’s dollar value). Most of the workers
in his steel mills were Eastern European immigrants. In 1889, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers had won a favorable contract with higher wages. In 1892, Carnegie's plant manager at the
Homestead Mill, Henry Clay Frick, tried to negotiate a new contract with the unionized workers. In his
list of demands, he included increased production demands while also proposing to lower the wages by
22%. On June 29th 1892, the union went on strike. In response, Frick locked the workers out of the plant
and sent for 300 Pinkerton Guards (who were from a private detective agency who could be hired to do
work on behalf of or protect any private citizen).

Events of the Homestead Strike: When the Pinkerton Guards arrived on July 6th, they were
met by 10,000 striking workers. The two groups battled nearly all day, with the striking
laborers winning after approximately 10 - 15 deaths on both sides. Frick and the Sheriff of the
region appealed to the governor who sent in the state militia to force workers to end the strike. The
militia occupied the mill and surrounding areas; meanwhile, the Carnegie Corporation was abe to get
production up and running again by convincing some striking members to return to work using threats
and intimidation. Up until mid-July, public support for the striking workers was strong. This changed on
July 23rd when anarchist Alexander Berkman attempted to assassinate Frick. Unsuccessful, this attempt
on Frick’s life largely shifted public sympathies to be with the Carnegie Corporation. Newspapers called
the striking workers, mostly Eastern Europeans, horrible names and blamed them for the economic
damage to the steel industry and town of Homestead. The strike didn’t last much longer. The militia
occupied Homestead, Pennsylvania until October when workers, feeling overwhelmed, abandoned the
strike.

Effect and Impact: The Homestead Strike effectively crushed and collapsed the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. With the Amalgamated Association
virtually destroyed, Carnegie Steel moved quickly to institute longer hours and lower wages.
The Homestead Strike inspired many workers, but it also underscored how difficult it was for
any union to prevail against the combined power of a corporation and the government.

Pullman Strike 1894

Historical Context: During and after the Civil War, the railway industry dominated the
American economy and was the nation’s single largest employer. In Chicago, George
Pullman built a different kind of company for manufacturing railroad cars. To produce the
cars, he built a manufacturing plant in a company-owned town on the outskirts of Chicago.
The company town was touted as a model community filled with content, well paid workers. During the
economic depression of 1893, George Pullman sought to preserve profits by lowering labor costs - so he
slashed his workforce by 1,200 workers and cut wages by 25 percent. Workers were required to live in
the company town, which meant they rented and bought household provisions from the Pullman
company. While wages had been slashed, the cost of living in the company town did not change,
drastically altering the lives of the Pullman railway workers.

Events of the Pullman Strike: The Pullman factory workers went on strike and were joined by
the American Railway Union (ARU) and its leader, Eugene Debs. The ARU supported the strike by
refusing to run trains containing Pullman cars. The plan was to force the railroads to bring Pullman to
compromise. Once on strike, the laborers proceeded to obstruct railroad tracks preventing the
transportation of goods and attracting national attention. The strike affected nearly all of America. The
media coverage was extensive and generally negative. The editorials and articles depicted the boycotters
as foreigners who were Anti-American. The strike was ended when President Grover Cleveland used the
US Marshals and US Army troops to force the workers to resume their duties. His lawyers also argued
that the strike violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and represented a threat to public safety.

Effect and Impact: The American Railways Union was weakened as a result of their loss in this action.
Eugene Debs was jailed for six months for his part in the strike, but he also gained a national following as
a strong leader willing to fight for workers rights. As a result, he was able to run for president five times
 as the head of the Socialist party. In 1894, President Cleveland designed Labor Day as a
federal holiday to appease workers. Many Americans were appalled at the class conflict
that the strike (and others like it) represented. The events of the Pullman Strike led
to a deepening awareness that there was a "labor problem" in America and a "labor
question" in American politics. As a result of Pullman Strike, reformers energetically began
searching for a new way of protecting the "public interest" in the face of the competing interests
of labor and capital.

Ludlow Massacre 1914

Historical Context: The rapid expansion of the railways had made coal a highly valued
commodity, and it was rapidly commercialized. When coal deposits were found in Colorado,
businessmen had literally hit gold, the United States was dependent on coal at this time in
history and there was plenty in the foothills of Colorado. At its peak in 1910, the coal mining
industry of Colorado employed nearly 10% of the state’s population. Colorado's coal industry was
dominated by a handful of operators. The largest was Colorado Fuel and Iron which was purchased by
John D. Rockefeller in 1902, who turned his controlling interest in the company to his son, John D.
Rockefeller Jr, who managed the company from his office in New York City. Colorado mines were
particularly dangerous, as mine safety laws were never really enforced. There was a constant threat of
explosion, suffocation, and collapsing mine walls. The miners who worked in the Ludlow mines were of
all different European backgrounds, intentionally recruited to be a diverse group so that language and
cultural barriers would prevent them from unionizing. The laborer hours were also often long and pay
was little. The families also were required to live in the company town, rent property from the company,
and shop at company stores. In the early 1900’s, the United Mine Workers of America attempted to
organize against the large mining companies, fighting for better working conditions at mines across the
west. They focused on the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company because of the known harsh tactics of the
Rockefeller family.

Events of the Ludlow Massacre: In early 1913, the workers in the Ludlow mine went on strike
asking for better pay, enforcement of Colorado Mine Safety laws, and recognition of their membership in
the United Mine Workers of America. When the strike began, the miners were immediately evicted from
their shacks in the mining towns. Aided by the United Mine Workers Union, they set up tents in the
nearby hills and carried on the strike, picketing from these tent colonies. The strike was effective and
halted production of coal for many months. At the start of the strike, the National Guard was called in to
prevent violence. On April 20, 1914, Colorado National Guard soldiers kidnapped and later killed the
main camp leader and some of his fellow miners, and then set the tents in the main camp ablaze with
kerosene. As they were engulfed in flames, people inside the tents tried to flee the inferno; many were
shot as they tried to escape. Among the dead were not only striking miners, but also many innocent
women and children. A day that started off with Orthodox Easter celebrations for the families became
known as the Ludlow Massacre.
 Effect and Impact: The United Mine Workers of America finally ran out of money, and
called off the strike on December 10, 1914. In the end, the strikers failed to obtain their
demands, the union did not obtain recognition, and many striking workers were replaced.
Over 400 strikers were arrested, 332 of whom were indicted for murder. Despite this, the
massacre did bring about a congressional investigation that led to the beginnings of child-labor laws,
enforcement of an 8 hour work day, and showed the resilience and strength of a union in the face of
extreme violence.

Labor Movement in the Gilded Age

Analysis

What can we learn about the labor movement in the Gilded Age by comparing the Haymarket
Written Task Riot, the Homestead Strike, the Pullman Strike, and the Ludlow Massacre?

Task - Using the documents above, and your knowledge of US History, please complete the following written task:

Re-examine the cartoon below. Having learned about the four events of the labor movement examined in this
activity (Haymarket Riot, Homestead Strike, Pullman Strike, and the Ludlow Massacre), re-evaluate the cartoon.
(Original source available here: Library of Congress and American Social History Project)

Knights shield reads “constitution and legislature”, horse armor

reads “monopoly”

Hat reads “Labor”, hammer reads

“strike” and horse reads “poverty”
Explain: What statement do you think the cartoonist was trying to make about the labor movement in the Gilded
Age?
● How do the four events examined in this activity (Haymarket Riot, Homestead Strike, Pullman Strike,
and the Ludlow Massacre) support any claims the cartoonist might have been trying to make?
● explain means “to make plain or understandable; to give reasons for or causes of; to show the logical
development or relationships of” No matter how large or small you are, monopolies will always prevail and
beat laborers. For example, the laborers are just given a horse and a hammer. Meanwhile, monopolies have
the mechanized horse, and spear.