Gods Bit of Wood Essay

The issues that face workers is ever changing, in modern times a lot of the original issues seem to have been solved. Long hours, have been be replaces with mandated working hours defined by law, safety issues can be covered by OSHA, age limits again are decreed in law. Comparing modern day America to 1800’s America and the stark contrast in working conditions creates room for a strong argument opposing Unions and any tangible outcome they may produce besides lining their own pockets

The Labor Movement’s number one concern is to address problems associated with social inequality. The labor movement was created in order to fight for the rights of labor workers. The goal was to have better wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable working hours. Unions were formed in order to achieve this. However, this was always enough. Workers reached a point where they came together and participated in strikes which the main goal was to have their employers listen to them and come to an agreement.

One strike that helped to further this feeling was the Pullman strike. When the workers shut down the railroad it shut down the western half if the country and stopped the economy. This brought dislike from government, businesses, and the people. Document A shows one side of the story, with an editorial from the New York Times. Within this article it said that the riots were nothing but “rash and spiteful demonstrations.” This editorial also showed the other side of the argument calling the workers bold and determined for standing up and trying to make their lives better. Many people did not agree with the stikes and the violent scenes that often took place after. Most disagreed with the sentiments of Samuel Gompers and the leaders of other unions. In Document H, Samuel Gompers talks of how the factories are constantly changing and making improvements and if the employees do not strike how they will be left behind and walked upon. He talks of how the United States was not created without suffering and struggling and so the workers must fight for what they wanted. Finally, as shown in Document E, the people did not take kindly, to the labor unions and what they were trying to do. They saw that they all had different goals and were all trying to get

If the government would have stepped in and made laws protecting these people, then the relationship between employees and employers would have been pleasing to both sides. Improving the economy, this would have prevented many strikes, riots, and disputes. Such as the Pullman Strike, it was a nasty act of violence that affected the economy by creating negative views on large companies (Document E). Strikers wrote strong letters using statements like, “We struck at Pullman because we were without hope” (Document E). They did this to convey that it was their last resort to convince upper management for realistic hours, work conditions, and wages. The relationship between the two sides influenced economy in a negative way that could have been averted with a government that took action instead of letting it get out of

     The past of Unions is indisputable; however, the outlook can be altered to form a promising future. The reversal of history can be done through reconstruction and restatement of workers rights. A reestablishment of worker liberties should be considered in order to clarify any confusion in which present and prospective employees are faced with. Unions are notorious for being tyrannical and inconsiderate towards employees and thus union heads should confront this issue head on and give workers a voice (i.e. vote). In order to regain union strength in today’s society I believe Unions must give workers honorable rights and a democratic right to be heard.

The fights the workers had did give long, and short term effects, but was it worth it? The long term effects were, safety codes were improved [ learned from the triangle fire article], wages and conditions improved [ From the Bread and Roses article]. Others are labor laws and rights. Some short term effects are destruction of property, and Economical, emotional, and physical effects from the strikes. Also some of the strikes gave workers an image of terrorists. The strikes did not really help the workers because at the end of most strikes they lost, and lost their jobs and reputation.

The early 1940’s were tough times for many Japanese living in America. This is all due to the Japanese and American conflict in World War II, after Japan decided to bomb Pearl Harbor. After this incident many Japanese-Americans were discriminated against and were thought of as bad Japanese instead of the Americans they were. A lot of these Japanese-Americans were unfairly sent to internment camps in the United States. This is also true of the incidents that take place in the fictional novel Snow Falling On Cedars, by David Guterson.

Strikes and protests have always been a way to unite people in their fight to object certain practices or demand certain change. In 1914, first generation immigrants went on strike after working under horrid conditions and not getting paid fair wages. All they asked for was a small raise and to work eight hour days. The outcome was, a militia firing machine guns at strikers along with other deadly attacks. The Rockerfellers were some of the wealthiest and corrupt minded men in the world. Rockerfeller owned the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, and some sources say that he supplied the militia with the guns used in the massacre. If money is the root of all evil, then the Rockerfellers weren't shy of showing it.

The beginning of World War II caused many Americans to spawn a deep hatred against anyone of Japanese decent. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, fear of the Japanese emerged in hearts all across America. White Americans felt threatened by Japan. The fear of Japan created a fear of its people and this fear created severe prejudice against anyone who looked like the “enemy.” During the war, and for many years after, Japanese Americans were victims of this fear. In the fictional novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson, Kabuo Miyamoto is an example of this victimization.

I agree on your views that American businessmen saw this national strike as a threat to their capitalist objective. The collective action of a national strike made businessmen aware of the possibility they may have to comply to workers' demands. The railroads were some of the worst culprits of the many inequalities seen during this time period, so it's no surprise that one of them was met with a national strike. Overall, I really like your response and how railroads felt the threat of a tyranny of the

“Something the Lord Made” is a movie based on the true story of two medical pioneers; Alfred Blalock, a research cardiologist, and Vivien Thomas, an Africa-American carpenter, who found his way into medicine through the back door and changed medical history.

The impact of the strike was much wider than just in the mining industry and the regions: the scenes of violence between strikes and police regularly seen on television shocked the nation and divided public opinion. Polls suggested that 65% of the people supported the government and the police 35% of the miners. social commentators suggested that the violent clashes that frequently accompanied the strike stimulated a general strike

This project is planning to build a perfect Log Cabin a small holiday house; it will be built in the house garden. It will have 642sq feet to living space for two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and 78sq feet of terrace of terrace as well garden with a budget of £39,824.7. The important of project is building cheap a log cabin that is to use materials obtained from own property, also using short time to build it and personal labor doing the work by hand will save most of the cost of the log cabin. This project plan aims of providing a relaxing holiday home as people living in city like London area as they do not have fresh air environmental area for a short break, and minimize cost and maximize the efficiency of building a

In God's Bits of Wood, the striking African train workers and their families are primarily speakers of the African language Ouolof. As a result, learning French is not necessary in their struggle to organize amongst themselves

Sembene Ousmane’s novel, “Gods Bits of Wood,” gives a highly detailed story of the railway strike of 1947-48 in French West Africa. It contains conflicts of political, emotional and moral nature. Ultimately, Sembene’s novel is one of empowerment. It brings to light the tension between colonial officials and the African community among the railway men as well as the struggle of the African community to free itself from being subjected to colonial power. Frederick Cooper’s article, “Our Strike: Equality, Anticolonial politics and the 1947-48 Railway Strike in French West Africa,” helps reveal the strike’s true meaning and agenda by analyzing the conflicts present in Sembene’s novel. In fact, it paints a very different picture of the railway