Working Conditions In The United States During The 19th Century

Children who worked in factories were commonly exposed to large and dangerous machines (large/thick needles, constantly spinning threads, etc.) 6. Young children were considered “clean slates” for factory work

The textile factories in England were bad for the health of the workers because the air quality was terrible, injuries were recurring, and the workers suffered mistreatment. According to Document A, “the health of the cotton-factory children is much worse than that of children employed in other manufactories.” In other words, compared to other occupations in other manufactories, the cotton-factories experienced awful well being for their workers. In addition, “accidents were very often admitted to the infirmary, through the children’s hands and arms having been caught in the machinery.” This quote conveys that injuries in the cotton factories were happening very frequently.

Mortality rates were decreasing rapidly. This was not only an effect of the poor living conditions, but also of the high pollution that was being created by the factories. Conditions for adult and children in the factory during the Industrial Revolution were unrelenting in its enforcement of tough rules, long hours and its unsanitary and, sometimes, dangerous environment. According to author, the mill work that Sam and the other children did was dangerous nor particularly difficult. Children of the Industrial Revolution perhaps suffered more than the adults also “some of the children had their hands terribly lacerated by the carding machine”. Owners realized that children were easier to train and control and they were forced to work as young as eight years old. They worked for many hours in factories and were denied their education. At such a young age, education and the support of family would have been instrumental in the development of such an impressionable mind. The innocence of what it means to be a child was exploited by the business owners who wished only to gain more

In the United States history, the Gilded Age was the period in the late 19th century where the country experienced rapid economic growth. During this period, the U.S. became one of the leading industrial nations. It was able to build a powerful navy that dominated the world and acquired the enormous overseas empire. The Gilded Age was also a very important time in the labour history of the United States. It was a period of horrible labour violence between industrialists and workers who fought over various labour issues such as wages and control of the workplace. At this time, workers organised themselves to form the first and largest labour union of the time – the American Labour Union. Even after the workers formed this union, the employers were determined to end the union hence causing a lot of conflicts. One of the highlights of the labour struggles in the Gilded Age was the Pullman strike of 1893. This strike had dire consequences for both the workers and the employers. Many were killed, others injured and the leaders of the union imprisoned for contempt of court. This paper shall look into some of the reasons why the workers found it difficult to achieve economic and political power and how their activism was limited. Ultimately, the strict control by capitalists and government limited the workers ability to fight successfully for better terms of employment.

In the United States history, the Gilded Age was the period in the late 19th century where the country experienced rapid economic growth. During this period, the U.S. became one of the leading industrial nations. It was able to build a powerful navy that dominated the world and acquired the enormous overseas empire. The Gilded Age was also a very important time in the labour history of the United States. It was a period of horrible labour violence between industrialists and workers who fought over various labour issues such as wages and control of the workplace. At this time, workers organised themselves to form the first and largest labour union of the time – the American Labour Union. Even after the workers formed this union, the employers were determined to end the union hence causing a lot of conflicts. One of the highlights of the labour struggles in the Gilded Age was the Pullman strike of 1893. This strike had dire consequences for both the workers and the employers. Many were killed, others injured and the leaders of the union imprisoned for contempt of court. This paper shall look into some of the reasons why the workers found it difficult to achieve economic and political power and how their activism was limited. Ultimately, the strict control by capitalists and government limited the workers ability to fight successfully for better terms of employment.

Dangerous factory conditions also had a negative effect on society. Although the factory system positively helped to advance technology, its environments were horrendous. Firstly, these horrible conditions brought on multiple types of health risks (Document 3). Due to epidemics spread from factories, workers could be subdued to respiratory problems and could gain permanent deformities on their body. Secondly, when workers

To begin, the Industrial Revolution ushered the world into an unprecendented era of innovation and production. In order to keep up the factories and continue to manufacture goods faster than ever before, children were forced to enter the workplace at extremely young ages. As a consequence, these children often had to quit their schooling in order to earn money for their families. We have few objective facts on what happened to the children forced to work in factories, and so we must compile what information we have on the topic and find the differences and similarities in each in order to piece together the truth. Thus, by comparing and contrasting the letter and the two photographs, we will be able to learn more about child labor conditions.

The ways that these corporations expanded and the new ideas of production were not always the safest for the workers. The hours were long and the environment was dangerous, occupational hazards were not addressed nor were they a concern. Men and children working in

To begin, there are many dangerous working conditions. During this time, there were no safety regulations that factories had to follow. This meant that factories did not have to take safety precautions and give workers things like safety glasses. This led to many deaths,sickness, or disease( History Notes). The rate of death for children working in the mill is twice as high as adults (Doc. 2).

The working conditions and working rights in the late 1800s and early 1900s were lacking and required some help to make more humane. Before any of the laws that helped reform our nation, working in mines or factories was dangerous and not worth the effort. Secondly, the hours were unethical, as workers sometimes had to toil away for 12 hours, seven days a week with a one day break every two weeks. Workers who were fighting for their rights were not alone, as there were some people who also believed morality was more important at the moment. The changes made were for the better and made the world of hard labor a better place. Thankfully, these rules were not ever taken away and people now live to know that they will earn the money and rights that they deserve.

Since there were no work regulations during this time period, there were no standards for safety or how one had to behave towards others. Accidents in these shops were extremely common. The women wanted to get as much done as they possibly could because they were paid by the piece, and in their rush, their fingers would get caught in the machines. Sadie Frowne talks about the time when she was injured, “Sometimes in my haste I get my finger caught and the needle goes right through it. It goes so quick, tho, that it does not hurt much.” Small children were also working in these unsanitary sweatshops. They were especially needed if a machine stopped working and an adult was unable to reach the broken part;

As America became more industrial more people left their farms and small towns to work in the city so they could pay their expenses, whatever they may be. This led to the minimal pay of workers while the owners became wealthy leading to a functional economy. Most would receive little money while the rest lived a life of luxury. Since more factories were opening children, women, and immigrants could now find jobs, which led to more production which gave more money to the owners of the factories. Americans feared that industrialists were changing freemen into “wage slaves.” “By 1920, nearly 20 percent of all manufacturing workers were women, and 13 percent of all textile workers were younger than 16 years old. In 1900, it was estimated that

The ensuing conflict, between labor vs. capital, during the late 1800s initiated a struggle of power in the workforce between the rich-industrialists (or corporate leaders) and the middle-class/lower-class workers. The Capitalists had intervened with the protests orchestrated by the workers, ensuring that the power remains with them. The strategies of the industrialists and the unique ways of protesting from the workers, contributes to spur a vigorous argument between the employers and their employees. The workers tried their best to ameliorate their working conditions by forming numerous unions, trying to fix currency (gold to paper) to economically help themselves, refusing to go to work, resorting to violence and non-violence, etc. However, the Corporate leaders kept an upper hand and dissolved the workers’ ambitions by hiring scabs, creating a strong relationship with the military (Pullman strike), controlling and fixing policies at work, hiring immigrants for cheap labor, etc. Throughout the late 1800s, the corporate leaders have been able to successfully prevent workers who had resorted to: forming unions, protests (ex. Pullman strike and Homestead strike), violence (ex. Haymarket Sq. Riot), etc., from achieving a radical solution to the workers issues with the management by using several different strategies including but not limited to: hiring scabs/immigrants in the Homestead strike, using government support in the Pullman strike and keeping the power on their side

On the other hand, because of the establishment of factories by businessmen, the workers ' lives became hard as they faced unfair working conditions in dirty and small working places. They worked long hours with no break. The machines used in factories were also very dangerous and led to workers enduring injuries. Unskilled labor did not even require training. During the Industrial Revolution, child labor became common since it was cheaper to have children working. Instead of earning an education, children started working as early as 8 years old. Also, factories produced pollution within the cities because of all the coal that was being used for power, leading smoke to contaminate the air. People became sick and even

(Laslett, 1970) Coupled with these innovations was the new concept of applying scientific methodology to industrial processes. (Laslett, 1970) All of these changes, while beneficial to businesses, did little to improve the lot of the industrial laborer. (Laslett, 1970) One of the key complaints of an entirely unregulated labor force in the late 1800s was the extensive use and abuse of child labor. In 1870, nearly three quarters of a million children between the ages of ten and fifteen worked in hazardous aspects of manufacturing, agriculture and street trade. (Laslett, 1970) By 1880, that number was over one point one million, or one in every six children in that age group. (Laslett, 1970) By 1900, that number doubled. The conditions under which children worked were very dangerous. They worked the same shifts as adults (about 12 hours a day, six days a week), denying them the opportunity for school and play. (Laslett, 1970) The factories, mills, mines and other work venues in which they labored were unsafe and unregulated. Children were also often used in the most dangerous aspects of industrial work, such as clearing jammed machines or working in confined spaces too small for adults. (Laslett, 1970) In 1881, only seven states had any kind of regulation laws for child laborer. Desperate for money to survive, immigrants and working-class Americans forged