How Successful Was Organized Labor in Improving the Position of Workers in the Period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the Factors That Contributed to the Level of Success Achieved.
The years following the Civil War and Reconstruction was an era somewhat gilded. The Second Industrial Revolution came about with new inventions, and revolutionized how factories and jobs were worked. Factory workers in this time period were working in poor conditions and had no power whatsoever. Often they were abused and their wages were cut very low. The mass immigration also did not favor laborers as it made them so easy to replace. In order to fight back laborers would join labor unions in order to protest; however, during this time the labor unions were not that affective during 1875 and 1900 because although they had their efforts many of them would not work to their advantage; efforts would give them a bad reputation, go out of control, and the government did not take initiatives to help, hence not accomplishing much at all. Primarily, one of the important factors of the American opinion upon labor unions was the press. One of which was the New York Times (Document B). Often times the press was bribed by big companies in order to have the people favor them, hence giving strikers and labor unions a bad name. This article is about the Baltimore and the Ohio Railroad strike. They say it's a hopeless cause and the strikers do not even know what they want. Document C is another example how the reputation for labor unions wasn't so good. In the picture one can see that the laborer has killed the goose which lays the golden egg. One of these golden eggs are in his pocket and another in the bag of his wife and kid. The picture also suggests that labor unions do not know what they are doing and will regret it in the long run. The man in the back is communist showing that labor unions have communist influence. "Strike!! Strike!! As they did last July down with the Capital," refers to the same strike as Document B, and ridicules them about it, saying they are against the capital. Under "up with the red flag," is suggest labor violence and that communism involves