Labor During the Industrial Age

By: Jodie David, Jill Szczepanski and Scarlett Bekus

Successes Failures

• Revolutionized Working • Attempt at Workers Unions

•Hostility in Labor Class

Background-

*The industrial ages brought many new and diverse workers into America

*Greatly impacted America’s social, political and economical structureLabor based work became standard for the lower and middle class, while the upper class controlled laborers

SuccessFarm to Factory

• Agriculture in fields to metal in factories • Greater output of economic necessities (clothes, transportation)

•Advanced ways to work : • Introduction of Assembly lines employed more people

•Farmers out of bankruptcy

Success

Diversified American Labor •People from all around the world come to US to work

• American thought of as an opportunity for a new life ($ and family)

Success

Union Groups Created: • Knights of Labor• National Labor Union • American Federation of Labor

Failures

-Low wages *Avg male worker made $400 to $500/yr as opposed to livable $600/yr*Women are paid lesser rates than men and avg female makes $314/yr

-Loss of Control*Workers had managers above them so no authority/responsibility*Immigrant workers were used to having their own shops, but lost private ownership to factory work

-”Boom &Bust” Economy*Changing economy led to poverty and loss of jobs

Failures

-Horrible working conditions*Filthy, dark factories*Workers are barefoot and spreading diseases*Extremely high death rates- disease and accidents

-Child labor*Children work up to 14 hr days and are at high risk of work related injury or fatality

-Failed Unions*Unions did not do much for poor work conditions or help workers*Hostility towards unions (Molly Maguires)

FailuresCompanies preferred Immigrant Workers-

*Immigrants were hired over middle-class Americans because they were willing to work in worse conditions & for less $

*This Caused hostility between the new immigrant workers and the “American’s” who were there before them (African-/Anglo-Americans)

*Since companies could get away with terrible working conditions, dangerous, unhealthy conditions became standard