📘CIVIL RIGHTS Gilded Age

Question 1

Trade Unions and Workers in the Gilded Age TIME PERIOD

Answer 1

(1870s-1900)

Question 2

SOCIAL Evidence Supporting Progress for Trade Unions and Workers

Answer 2

• The Knights of Labour, founded in 1869, grew to include approximately 700,000 members by 1886, creating unprecedented solidarity among skilled and unskilled workers, regardless of race, gender, or national origin
• The American Federation of Labour (AFL), established in 1886, effectively organised skilled workers in craft unions, growing to over 1 million members by 1900
• Worker communities and support networks emerged in industrial centres, providing mutual aid during strikes and hardship

Question 3

POLITICAL Evidence Supporting Progress for Trade Unions and Workers

Answer 3

• The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 created a merit-based government employment
  system, reducing political patronage
• Several states passed factory inspection laws, with Massachusetts leading in 1877, followed by
  New York and other industrial states
• State-level legislation on child labour increased, with Illinois passing laws in 1893 limiting childrens work hours
• Formation of labour-oriented political parties like the Greenback Labour Party (1870s) and Populist
  Party (1890s) that advocated for worker interests

Question 4

ECONOMIC Evidence Supporting Progress for Trade Unions and Workers

Answer 4

• Real wages for industrial workers increased approximately 37% between 1880-1900, despite periods of economic depression
• Some successful strikes resulted in meaningful gains, such as the 1885 Southwest Railroad Strike, where workers won concessions on wages
• The eight-hour workday movement gained traction in specific industries and locations, with significant advancement after the 1886 May Day strikes
• By 1900, union membership had increased to approximately 8.4% of non-agricultural workers, up from negligible numbers in 1870

Question 5

SOCIAL Evidence Against Progress for Trade Unions and Workers

Answer 5

• Brutal suppression of labour activism, exemplified by the 1892 Homestead Strike, where Pinkerton agents and strikers engaged in armed conflict resulting in multiple deaths
• The Haymarket Affair (1886) led to the execution of labour leaders and severe public backlash against the labour movement
• Ethnic, racial, and skill divisions were exploited by employers to prevent worker solidarity, with immigrants often used as strike-breakers
• Blacklisting of union organizers was widespread, preventing activists from finding employment

Question 6

POLITICAL Evidence Against Progress for Trade Unions and Workers

Answer 6

• Legal doctrine overwhelmingly favoured employers, with courts routinely issuing injunctions against strikes using the Sherman Antitrust Act
• In the 1895 In re Debs Supreme Court case, Eugene Debs was imprisoned for his role in the Pullman Strike, establishing federal authority to break strikes
• Violent state intervention in labour disputes was common, with over 130 instances of federal troops being deployed against strikers between 1877-1903
• The lack of protective legislation allowed dangerous working conditions to persist, with approximately 35,000 workers dying annually in industrial accidents by 1900

Question 7

ECONOMIC Evidence Against Progress for Trade Unions and Workers

Answer 7

• Major economic depressions (1873-1879 and 1893-1897) devastated working-class communities and undermined union bargaining power
• Wage disparities widened dramatically, with the richest 1% controlling approximately 45% of wealth by 1900
• Working conditions remained hazardous, with the average workweek exceeding 60 hours in most industries
• Real wages for unskilled workers stagnated or declined during economic downturns, particularly affecting women and minority workers

Question 8

Factors Advancing Trade Unions and Workers’ Rights

Answer 8

• Industrial concentration created large workforces that could be organized collectively

-The spread of socialist and progressive ideas provided intellectual frameworks for labour activism

• Literacy rates among workers increased, enabling better communication and organisation
• Extreme wealth inequality created moral outrage that motivated reform movements
• Technological innovations improved communication capabilities for organising workers

Question 9

Factors Impeding Trade Unions and Workers’ Rights

Answer 9

• The surplus of immigrant labour weakened workers' bargaining power
• Legal frameworks heavily favoured employer property rights over worker protections
• Corporate consolidation increased employer power relative to labour
• Anti-union violence and infiltration by company spies undermined organising
• Cultural emphasis on individualism and hostility toward collective action

Question 9

Statistical Evidence

Answer 9

• Union membership grew from approximately 300,000 in 1880 to 868,500 by 1900
• Industrial accident rates in manufacturing were approximately 25 per 1,000 workers annually
• Child labour involved roughly 1.7 million children under age 16 by 1900
• The average industrial wage rose from about $1.50 per day in 1880 to $2.00 per day by 1900
• The workweek decreased from an average of 66 hours in 1870 to approximately 60 hours by 1900

Question 10

Most Convincing View

Answer 10

The evidence indicating limited progress for workers and trade unions during the Gilded Age is more
convincing. While there were notable organisational achievements and some wage increases, these gains
were dramatically offset by violent suppression, unfavourable legal frameworks, and persistent exploitation.

The period saw the establishment of important labour organisations and some wage growth, but these
developments mainly benefited skilled white male workers while leaving the majority of labourers
vulnerable. The fundamental power imbalance between capital and labour remained largely intact, with
corporations wielding overwhelming economic and political authority. Legal decisions consistently
undermined union activity, while state violence regularly crushed strikes and organising efforts.

Most importantly, the material conditions of average workers showed only marginal improvement despite
enormous increases in industrial productivity and national wealth. The failure to secure basic protections
against exploitation, dangerous working conditions, and economic insecurity demonstrates the severely
limited nature of labour's progress during this era.