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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.