Immigration and the Labor Movement in America 1860 - 1920

Where are the workers coming from during the Industrial Revolution Old immigration (Before 1880s)– People from northern and western Europe, Ireland and Germany New immigration (1880s-1924)- shift to southern and eastern Europe – Italy, Poland and Russia. Also, Japan and China From Rural areas and Europe Desire employment opportunities Escape poverty and oppression New ethnic groups cluster together in cities “Little Italy”

Danish Norwegian German Dutch Swedish English Scottish Welsh Irish Northern Europe German Dutch The "Old" Immigrants Swedish English Scottish Welsh Irish

Southern & Eastern Europe Italian Russian Greek Southern & Eastern Europe Jews The "New" Immigrants 1860-1920 Romanian Hungarian Austrian Serbian Polish Chinese

To Escape. Conditions in immigrants’ native lands often propelled Religious Persecution Of Jews The Irish Potato Famine To Escape. Conditions in immigrants’ native lands often propelled or “pushed” them to leave. Immigrants came to escape conditions of poverty or religious and political persecution. Extreme Poverty & Crime in Italy Political Persecution in Germany

The Land of Opportunity. Conditions in the U.S. also attracted or Availability Of Jobs $ Higher Standards Of Living $ The Land of Opportunity. Conditions in the U.S. also attracted or “pulled” many immigrants to come. Many newcomers heard about these benefits. News of these benefits was spread by letters to relatives, steamship advertisements and industrialists seeking to recruit laborers. Religious Freedom Greater Political Freedom

Statue Of Liberty Symbol Open Immigration

Ellis Island, New York

Interior Of Ellis Island

The Melting Pot Theory Americans Italians Irish Jews Greek Russian Polish Chinese Americans

“Melting pot” theory – new American culture Assimilation - The process when a minority group adopts the customs and attitudes of the nation’s culture.

Nativist laws passed to limit immigration Nativism – belief that native-born Americans are superior to immigrants. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1888 Emergency Quota Act of 1921 Lowered the amount of immigrants admitted to US = lowers immigration by 75% National Origins Act of 1924 Lowers immigration from Eastern and Southern European Countries

restricting immigration Pale face afraid you crowd him out, as he did me. Chinese Exclusion Act (1888) All future Chinese Immigration was banned. This was the first law in U.S. History restricting immigration Every dog (no distinction of color) has his day.

INFLUENCES ON IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES (1820-1940) U.S. Industrial Revolution German Militarism U.S. Railroad Building Western Settlement Revolution in Germany Economic Depression in U.S. NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS (in thousands) Famine in Ireland U.S. Civil War World War I YEARS

Labor Movement

Wages and Working Conditions Average income = $500 a year Women and children labored for even less No Job security 10 hour days (at the least) Work places were: Unhealthy, unsafe, many accidents No worker compensation

Major Union Demands End Child Labor Shorter Hours Better Conditions Better Pay Achieve the right to collectively bargain to negotiate a signed contract. Contract: outlines terms of working conditions

Knights of Labor Founded by Uriah S. Stephens in 1869 Reaches its height under Terrance Powderly Open to both skilled and unskilled workers Supported: 8 hour work day Equal pay and better wages abolition of child labor Safety and health laws Arbitration for disputes No foreign contract labor Gov’t ownership of utilities Graduated income tax Disappears by the turn of the century

American Federation of Labor (AFL) Founded by Samuel Gompers in 1881 Only wanted skilled laborers Excludes 90% of workers Closed shop Supported – “Bread and Butter” Issues Higher wages Better working conditions 8 hour day Buy union Collective bargaining Strike if necessary Use of arbitration 500,000 members by 1900

International Workers of the World aka “The Wobblies” Who: Unskilled Industrial Workers Led by “Big” Bill Haywood Western miners lumbermen Goals: single united union of all workers Voluntary, cooperate human society How: Militant agitation Violence is acceptable to overthrow capitalism Obstruction of industry Damages to businesses Small (60k) - not very successful

Eugene V. Debs (Socialist) Founding Member of IWW Most famous Socialist in America Supports American Railway Union and Pullman Strike in 1894 Would be sentenced to prison during Pullman Strike and WWI (protested U.S. involvement) Ran for President from Socialist Party 5 times (1920 from jail)

Union Tactics Collective bargaining – union negotiates for its members as a whole (wages, hours, rules, conditions) no individual agreements Strike – refusal to work until employer meets your demands Scab - a worker who refuses to join a labor union, to participate in a union strike, or takes a striking worker’s job Boycott – refusal to work for or buy products produced by a certain company or person Blacklist – a list used by employers with names of people not to hire because of their ideas Can also be a list of employers to be boycotted by workers and union members

Management v. Unions “Tools” of Management “Tools” of Unions Non-union: “scabs” Anti-union pr campaign Used Pinkertons, militia, Fed. troops lockout blacklisting yellow-dog contracts court injunctions open shop “Tools” of Unions boycotts sympathy demonstrations informational picketing closed shops organized strikes “wildcat” strikes Collective bargaining

Labor Disputes Strikes and Riots

Railroad Strike of 1877 First major strike Protested wage cut Refused to operate the rails Riots in Pennsylvania, Maryland, W. Virginia, Illinois Federal troops are called in $5 million in property was destroyed Workers go back even with pay cuts

Haymarket Riot – 1886 Haymarket Square in Chicago – 5/4/1886 Sponsored by AFL and K of L Nationwide demand for 8 hour day Anarchists attend strike Bomb goes off 7 die, many wounded 8 anarchists are charged with murder

Homestead Strike - 1892 Carnegie Steel Company Was going to cut pay for union members workers strike Pinkertons called in 7/6/1892 – battle, Pinkertons surrender 8,000 National Guard are sent in 4 month strike, union gives in

Pullman Strike - 1894 Protesting 25% wage cut Led by Eugene Debs – American Railway Union Boycott Pullman cars on railways Freezes railroads from Chicago to Pacific coast Pres. Cleveland sends in 2,000 troops “If it takes the entire army and navy to deliver a postal card in Chicago, that card will be delivered!” Injunction to force workers to deliver mail and commerce Strikers refuse and are jailed Strike ends

What effected the success of unions? Diversity of workers Skilled v. Non-skilled Public Perception Associated with violence and communism Fear of Radicalism Different Unions w/different goals Power of management was greater

Union Membership

1st Government Actions to fight Business Interstate Commerce Act (1887) est. reasonable rates, no rebates, no rate discrimination not enforced well: Courts not willing to rule against RR’s Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) Prohibits monopolies by declaring any business combination “in restraint of trade” illegal Very vague! Courts fail to enforce the Act