Labor Conditions, Unions, and Urbanization

Labor ConditionsLabor Conditions

Labor Conditions in the Late 1800’s and Early 1900’s were terrible. Most workers worked 10-12

hour days in dangerous positions

Labor Conditions in the Late 1800’s and Early 1900’s were terrible. Most workers worked 10-12

hour days in dangerous positions

Sweatshop- place where people work

for low pay in uncomfortable

conditions

Sweatshop- place where people work

for low pay in uncomfortable

conditions

Men, women, and children all worked.Men, women, and

children all worked.

UNIONSUNIONS

Workers organized together in an effort to get better working conditions and pay.

Skilled workers were much more successful in Unions than unskilled. Often they would strike to make a point.

Most often though the Union members who would strike would not get what they want.

Workers organized together in an effort to get better working conditions and pay.

Skilled workers were much more successful in Unions than unskilled. Often they would strike to make a point.

Most often though the Union members who would strike would not get what they want.

Samuel GompersStarted the AFL (American Federation of Labor.)

This combined several of the larger unions in the country. Giving strikes and labor negotiations more power. If one of the Unions would strike the others would boycott the product they were striking against.

They were much more successful than unions before. Membership grew to over 2 million people

Urbanization of AmericaUrbanization- growth of cities

0500,000

1,000,0001,500,0002,000,0002,500,0003,000,0003,500,0004,000,0004,500,0005,000,000

1860 1900

New YorkChicagoPhiladelphiaKansas CityMinneapolis

New YorkNew York

18601 million

18601 million

19004.5 million

19004.5 million

Chicago

1860100,000

19002 million

Philadelphia

1860500,000

19001 million

Kansas City

18604,000

1900130,000

American CitiesAmerican Cities

18606 million

18606 million

190030 million

190030 million

Why did the Growth Occur?Why did the Growth Occur?

RAILROAD

MANUFACTURING

RAILROAD

MANUFACTURING

Between 1880 and 1910

11 million American's gave up farming and moved to american cities

Farm prices kept dropping and they couldn’t pay off their debt.

WITH ALL THE PEOPLE THE CITIES GREW UP AND OUT

IT WAS CHEAPER TO BUILD CITIES UP RATHER THAN

OUT.

They began to build buildings with steel making it possible to build

skyscrapers

They began to build buildings with steel making it possible to build

skyscrapers

Horse drawn street railway cars, electric street railway, trolley car, elevated railroads and subways made

transportation in cities even easier.

Horse drawn street railway cars, electric street railway, trolley car, elevated railroads and subways made

transportation in cities even easier.

PROBLEMSPROBLEMSTenements continued to shove more and more people in a

room.Tenements continued to shove more and more people in a

room.

Cities could not keep up with the demand for paving streets, garbage disposal, and sewage disposal

Cities could not keep up with the demand for paving streets, garbage disposal, and sewage disposal

PROBLEMS

Some coastal cities put garbage on barges and dumped it in the ocean, but most city dwellers just threw it out the

window onto the streets until the pigs would come by and eat it.

PROBLEMS

A number of cities built underground sewer systems. However these systems led to rivers. Every day

Philadelphia would dump 13 million gallons of sewage into the Delaware River, it’s main source for drinking water.

Worst of all FIRE!!

Most buildings were made of wood and very close to one another. Didn’t have water pressure like today. In 1871 a fire in Chicago burned 17,000 buildings. This left 90,000

homeless and 300 dead.

Most buildings were made of wood and very close to one another. Didn’t have water pressure like today. In 1871 a fire in Chicago burned 17,000 buildings. This left 90,000

homeless and 300 dead.

Other Problems1. Crime begins in cities

2. Political Corruption

Political Machine- organized group inside a political party that is strong enough to control the party

Political Boss- the head of the political machine

Political MachinesOften would take bribes and gifts in exchange for

rewarding city contracts to private buisness.

Boss Tweed

Leader of Tammany Hall a political machine in the Democratic Party of New

York City.

Stole over $100 million dollars from the city government through charging more for services rendered

He eventually went to Jail but political machines continued to opperate in city and national governments.