Section 4:  The Great Strikes

*Industrialization brought nation great wealth, but the rich got richer.

-1890-richest 9% had 75% of the wealth

-push for Socialism-economic and political philosophy that favors public control of property and income-wealth is distributed equally.

-Karl Marx-Communist Manifesto-said people would overturn capitalism

-Socialism is opposed by Americans-threat to wealth, private property, free enterprise, liberty

The Rise of Early Labor Unions

Trade unions-specific trade-ex. Shoemakers-wanted shorter workdays, higher wages, safer conditions

Knights of Labor-wanted one big union, skilled and unskilled

                -Equal pay, 8 hour day, end to child labor

American Federation of Labor-organize workers in smaller unions based on craft

                Better wages, hours, working conditions-use of strikes and boycotts

                Collective bargaining-workers negotiate as a group with employers

The Railroad Strike of 1877

 Wages cut by 10%

Rioting in major cities-Baltimore, Pitt., Chi., St. Louis

Soldiers fired shots in Pitt.

Major strikes in Nation

Haymarket Riot-1886-push for 8 hour workday

Scabs-workers to replace strikers, fight between them

Anarchists-against all government, joined the strikers

Bomb thrown at cops-7 killed

Homestead-1892-wages cut at steel factory-Carnegie Steel

Carnegies partner Henry Frick is called in and he brings the Pinkertons (private police) to break strikes,

Shootout and many people die.

Union was defeated and people went back to work

Pullman strikes

Pullman made sleeping- railroad cars-they cut wages and labor

Union goes on strike and Pullman shuts their plant down

Boycott of Pullman cars

Strikes disrupted mail so government sent troops

Federal government was now used to limit unions