Civil War, NLU

the Irish and

the Mollies

Review:

Labor attempts to move beyond regional mutual aid societies (sick and death benefits), protect trade quality, wages and secrets via social pressure/boycott -> Larger national formations engaging in collective bargaining, national political engagement. (Example: National Trades Union -> Workingmens Party)

Late 1830s-40s see improvements with ten-hour laws > Management pushed back with legislation.

1850s Labor begins to rebuild essential labor organizations

Labor still organized along artisan and craft -> Now forming national labor unions long trade lines: National Typographical Union, National Molders Union, etc.

However workers organized along trade lines divided workers between skilled and unskilled. This division created further division along ethno-religious lines. Skilled->American, protestants; Unskilled->Foreign-born, catholic, women and children.

Labor and the Civil War Approaching 1860s -> labor divided on issue of slavery

North possessed strong abolitionist sentiment. But in many of the industrial centers focus should be on white slavery (wage slave) reform should begin at home.

1861 National Workingmens Conventions came together under the banner of Concession not Secession advocating the idea of the Crittenden Compromise Crittenden Compromise (Sen. John Crittenden Kentucky) - major

concessions to southern concerns. Forbade the abolition of slavery on federal land in slaveholding states;

Compensated owners of runaway slaves;

Restored the Missouri Compromise line of 36 degree 30,

Guaranteed that future constitutional amendments could not change the amendments or the three-fifths and fugitive slave clauses of the Constitution;

Called for the repeal of northern personal liberty laws;

Once hostilities were declared workers enlisted in great numbers; Members of unions entered in groups.

Irish and the Draft Riots March 3 1863 - Congress passed the Enrollment act : Men 20-45

register for the draft Irish accepted US citizenship not realizing that made them liable for the draft. (Famine 1845-52)

Angered by the perception that the law discriminated against the poor. Wealthy men could buy their way out via substitution and commutation - $300. (rich mans war and a poor mans fight. )

Feared that newly free slave would come from the South and create further competition in the labor market.

Riots took place in various cities including Detroit, New York Took on anti-black tone. Free blacks were unfairly targeted hundreds of black men and women were killed. Thousands fled the cities.

Despite the riots over 150,000 Irish-Americans fought on the union side Irish Brigades first two casualties were Irish Catholics.

Labor After the War Labor during the war gained in strength:

1863-64 trade union organizations rose from 79 to 270 increased by 200,000

32 National organizations

National Labor Union (formed in 1866) Pre-cursor to Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor Helped to establish the 8-hour day campaign attempting

to have the 8-hour day a legally defined workday in every state. Formation of Eight-Hour Leagues. This was more aggressive than the previous struggle than

campaigns for 10-hour day.

Do we have this today? Nation-wide? OT? Some states have laws defining a days work as eight hours; Some

states restrict work to eight hours in specific industries.

Fair Labor Standard Act 40 hour week.

Positions of the NLU Believed in abolishing the wage system.

Establishing consumer and producer cooperatives

Abolition of convict labor Establishment of a Department of Labor

Disposal of public lands only to settlers

Women believed in the support of women in the industries. (However, many in the organization did not want to be associated with peculiar ideas such a the suffrage movement.)

Race Advocated for the restriction of immigrant labor esp. Chinese. Advocated for the organization of a separate organization for Black workers Colored National Labor Union (formed in 1869) President Isaac Myers; Fredrick Douglas elected in 1872.

Not in favor of using the strike as a weapon.

NLA Push for third party ran Labor Reform Party in several states

End of the NLU -> Economic Panic Leader of the NLU William Sylvis

believed labor needed to move beyond just the protection of trade move toward social reform.

Personally believed in womens suffrage.

Died in 1869. Replaced Richard Trevellick.

NLU formed the National Labor Reform Party in 1872. Nominated Judge David Davis for presidential candidate once he

withdrew his candidacy the organization essential collapsed. PoliticalEconomic

Economic Panic of 1873 Known as the Long Depression (1873-1879)

Caused by post-war inflation, rampant speculative investments (specifically in railroads), large trade deficit, strain on bank reserves, etc.

Financial Crisis caused factories and workshops closed down. Massive unemployment

By 1877 1/5 of the nations working men were unemployed; 2/5 worked six or seven months out of the year; 1/5 had full-time jobs

Economic Panic of 1873

Workers in various cities (NYC, Chicago, Boston, Cincinnati,

Omaha, etc.) gathered to discuss the intolerable conditions they found themselves in. When police attempted to break up these rallies, workers fought back.

Tompkins Square Riot January 13, 1874 protest to demand public works project 7,000 gathered 1,600 police

"mounted police charged the crowd on Eighth Street, riding them down and attacking men, women, and children without discrimination. It was an orgy of brutality. I was caught in the crowd on the street and barely saved my head from being cracked by jumping down a cellarway." Gompers

The Economic panic leads to two major incidents in labor history: Emergence of the Molly Maguires The Great Upheaval 1877

Molly Maguires

Anthracite hard coal mines dominated regions of the

northwest especially Pennsylvania.

Coalmines and railroads were controlled financial syndicates who were looking to consolidate their control of connected industries.

Coal companies used immigrants mainly Irish and Welsh.

Racial tensions between Irish and Welsh utilized by management

Tension escalated between the Irish and Welsh gangs (Modocs, Buckshots, Sheet Iron Gang, etc.)

22,000 workers; 5,500 of them children between 7-16 of age

While there was organizing in the mines by the Workingmens Benevolent Association (WBA) it was not until the Avondale mine fire September 6, 1869 110 ten killed - that the union began to grow. Series of strike

Molly Maguires Murder and Sabotage was prevalent in and around the mines. Many of

the stemmed from the animosity between anti-draft Irishmen and Pro-union (civil war) management. Others were in response to abusive management or targeting labor leaders.

Early reports by Benj. Bannan (Pottsvilles Miners Journal) of an Irish gang, Molly Maguires who were seeking revenge against management via act of murder and terrorizing minefields.

Mollies were allegedly a militant group within the Ancient Order of Hibernians a fraternal organization dedication to promoting Irish heritage and culture.

The Mollies were based more on lore brought over from Ireland.

Frank Gowan Philadelphia and Reading Railroad/ Philadelphia and

Reading Coal and Iron Company wealthiest anthracite mine owner in the world

Gowan attempted to connect the WBA with the Molly Maguires in hopes of crushing the growing labor movement.

Molly Maguires

Gowan hired James McParlan (Pinkerton) aka McKenna to go undercover to find the Mollies and break the union.

Outed as a liar in the Steunenberg Case Idaho Gov.; Western Federation of Minders (WFM) Bill Haywood, Charles Moyer, George Pettibone

Things heat up Long Strike 1875

Employers provoke a strike in December 1874. Pay but 10-20%. Scab labor brought in. Miners fought back and state troops were brought in.

7,000 striking workers were out for 7 months.

Starvation forced workers to accept conditions.

Workingmens Benevolent Association was crushed.

Molly Maguires

60 Irish labor leaders arrested and accused of crimes and membership in the Molly Maguires. Twenty were hanged.

Lore Hand Print Alexander Cambell:

"I am innocent, I was nowhere near

the scene of the crime." Then he slapped his hand against the wall of his cell, and continued, "There is proof of my words. That mark of mine will never be wiped out. It will remain forever to shame the county for hanging an innocent man." Wall has been torn down and rebuilt, painted over hand print still appears.