Labor History: Haymarket, AFL, Homestead, Pullman

• Haymarket Square Riots occurred in Chicago on May 4, 1886.
• 7 policemen and 4 protesters died during clashes between police and anarchists protesting police violence who were trying to disrupt strikes.
• The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was a trade union founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers.
• AFL aimed to unite skilled workers into trade-specific unions.
• The Homestead strike was an 1892 strike involving steelworkers at Andrew Carnegie's Homestead steel factory, near Pittsburgh, PA.
• The Homestead strike collapsed following a failed assassination attempt on the plant manager, Henry Frick.
• The Pullman strike was an 1894 strike by workers against the Pullman railcar company.
• President Grover Cleveland sent federal troops to resume rail service after the Pullman strike disrupted it nationwide, threatening mail delivery after the strike.
• The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was established by Congress in 1887 as a regulatory commission.
• The ICC investigated interstate shipping, mandated that railroads publicize their rates, and pursued lawsuits to lower "unreasonable" fares for shippers.
• Populists aimed to attract both farmers and industrial workers by promoting a graduated income tax, an 8-hour workday, immigration restriction, and women's suffrage.
• The Depression of 1893 was a severe economic downturn triggered by railroad and bank failures.
• The Depression of 1893, along with the limited federal response, led to a realignment of American politics
• Coxey's Army, a protest movement in spring 1894, was led by populist reformer Jacob Coxey.
• Coxey, with five hundred supporters, marched from Ohio to Washington, D.C., to protest the government's insufficient response to the Depression of 1893.

Industrialization's Impact on the American Workplace

• Industrialization transformed the American workplace from small-scale, skilled labor to large-scale factory production using machines and assembly lines.
• While industrialization increased efficiency, it also led to repetitive, specialized tasks for workers.
• Industrialization created challenges like poor working conditions, long hours, low wages, and job insecurity due to mechanization replacing skilled labor.
• Labor unions emerged in response to these hardships to advocate for workers' rights.

Hardships Faced by American Farmers in the Late Nineteenth Century

• American farmers faced hardships in the late nineteenth century due to falling crop prices, rising debt, and economic instability from overproduction.
• Railroads and grain storage companies, often monopolies, charged high rates, increasing farmers' financial strain.
• Isolation and limited social interaction made rural life challenging, leading farmers to seek collective support via organizations like the Grangers and Farmers' Alliances.

Similarities and Differences in Farmers' and Industrial Workers' Organizing Efforts

• Both farmers and industrial workers organized to combat economic hardship and political disenfranchisement, but their approaches differed.
• Industrial workers formed labor unions to demand better wages, hours, and working conditions.
• Farmers formed cooperatives and alliances to combat low crop prices, high railroad fees, and debt.
• Farmers focused more on political solutions like the subtreasury system and regulation.
• Industrial workers primarily sought labor rights through strikes and collective bargaining.

Long-Term Political Consequences of the Depression of 1893

• The Depression of 1893 led to a major political realignment, with Republicans dominating from 1896 to 1932 by forming a coalition of big business and urban workers.
• The Populist Party collapsed after failing to unite farmers and industrial workers, although its reform ideas influenced the Progressive Era.
• In the South, Democrats reinforced power by implementing voter suppression laws, like literacy tests and poll taxes, to disenfranchise Black and poor white voters.
• Post Depression of 1893, the divide between industrial and agrarian interests shaped American politics for decades.

Overview of labor history in the late 19th century United States. Covers the Haymarket Square Riot, the American Federation of Labor, the Homestead Strike, the Pullman Strike, and the establishment of the Interstate Commerce Commission.