Trade Unions in the Gilded Age evidence

Question 1

Evidence supporting social progress for TUs in the New Deal. 3 points

Answer 1

• 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 2

Evidence supporting political progress for TUs in the Gilded Age. 4 main points

Answer 2

• 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 children’s work hours
• Formation of labour-oriented political parties like the Greenback Labour Party (1870s) and Populist Party (1890s) that advocated for worker interests

Question 3

Evidence supporting economic progress for TUs in the Gilded Age. 4 points

Answer 3

• 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 4

Evidence AGAINST social progress for TUs in the GA. 4 points

Answer 4

• 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 organisers was widespread, preventing activists from finding employment

Question 5

Evidence AGAINST political progress for TUs in the GA. 4 main points

Answer 5

• Legal doctrine overwhelmingly favored 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 6

Evidence AGAINST economic progress by TUs in the GA. 4 points

Answer 6

• 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 7

Factors the caused advancing of TU and workers rights in the GA. 5 points

Answer 7

• 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 8

Factors impeding TU and workers rights in the GA. 5 points

Answer 8

• 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 for TUs in the GA. 5 poitns

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