Labor Union strikes were the most prominent form of worker insurrection against employers. During the period of 1875-1900, many labor unions participated in strikes, however many of them failed to achieve their goals. The biggest reason that farmers and workers went on strike was clearly stated by a machinist before the Senate Committee on Labor and Capital. Because machines were taking jobs away, workers would lose their livelihood, and most likely their only source of income. In the year of 1877, employees working for the four largest railroads went on strike due to the fact that their employers cut their wages by 10 percent; this was known as the Great Rail Road Strike.
Workers had virtually no bargaining power with their employers and were extremely vulnerable to economic downturns, which left them unemployed at a moment’s notice. Similarly they were forced to accept the dangerous working conditions, long hours, and often low pay offered by large enterprises (Porter, 1973) Porter, Glenn. The Rise of Big Business, 1860-1910. New York: Crowell, 1973. Nations of Nations, pp 544, 545.
In the late 19th century, Russia began its process of industrialization following its defeat at the hands of Western nations in the Crimean War. Russia's Industrial Revolution was further helped along by its growing population and an increasing labor force. As the industrial process continued, it gave new job opportunities such as: in mining, factory work, and railroad construction. This influx of jobs was taken by an influx of people, where it came from the country to work in the cities as cheap laborers, taking up dangerous and low-paying jobs. In spite of all these changing times and circumstances, the tension between the upper and lower classes remained tenser than ever before, building up under the fabric of society.
The military issues perhaps would not have escalated the way they did if it was not for existing social and economic problems at home. The revolution had began in Petrograd as a workers’ revolt in response to bread shortages, and was aimed at the Tsarist system because it was believed that the government was hoarding the bread in order to drive up prices. However a workers’ revolt, by itself, is very unlikely to result in the abdication of the Tsar, and a critical phase of the revolution was the mutiny of the Petrograd garrison, and the loss of control over Petrograd that the Tsar experienced. Marxist historians have exaggerated the extent of political involvement in the revolution, and it would be fair to say that only at a very late stage of the revolution did socialist political parties become involved. The Tsarist system fell for many reasons: the war against Germany meant that troops could not be deployed in force against the
Calleigh Fife Mr. Hunt History 7/9/11 ‘The emancipation of the serfs and Alexander II’s other reforms made little real difference to Russian politics and society.’ Discuss. The country was in a state of total disarray, for the Crimean war was lost, the Czar had died, and the issue of feudalism hung over the people like a black cloud, able to pour down on them at any second. The loss of the Crimean war brought to perspective that Russia was in fact, a backward, old-world, feudal country that needed change. This was realized by the new Czar, Alexander Nikolaevich II, who believed that in order to maintain the autocracy’s control, it was better to end serfdom from above, by means of legislation, than to await the inevitable eradication
The utopian socialists include Charles Fourier, who imagined an ideal society without capitalists, and Robert Owen, who believed that industry could provide prosperity for all. Owen tried to put his ideas into practice by carrying out reforms in his own textile mill and by encouraging Parliament to pass child labor laws and establish government inspection of working conditions. C. Protests and Reforms 1. Workers initially responded to the harsh working conditions by changing jobs frequently, not reporting for work, doing poor-quality work when not closely watched, and engaging in riots or strikes. Workers gradually moved beyond the stage of individual, unorganized resistance to create organizations for collective action: benevolent societies and trade unions.
Immigrants Coming to America Why do people leave their native countries to immigrate to the United States? They are determined to find a better life. With that in mind, immigrants from around the world come to the USA for many reasons including better economic opportunities, acquires a better lifestyle and to fulfill family obligations. First of all, immigrants come to the USA to obtain better economic opportunities. For instance, they would get a good job if you had a profession.
Another issue was that whilst the Tsar encouraged the industrial growth of Russia, and was keen for the country to become an industrial power, when peasants then left the land to work in the developing enterprises, they discovered that their living conditions did not improve. The disaster of the industrial slump that followed the initial rapid advances (coal production had trebled and iron production quadrupled) meant that there was atrocious working conditions, and as trade unions were illegal, life for the peasants that had been seeking a new way of life or hoping to earn more money was
The success of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War was due to Lenin, Trotsky and their combined political, social and military capabilities as they were experts. They introduced various political and military policies that enabled them to raise support in Russia and create a dominant and successful military force. Both leaders showed immense dedication to the socialist cause and in doing so provided ruthless and brilliant leadership that ensured Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War. Peasant support for the Bolsheviks was a result of the Whites political and social faults. Firstly, the Whites treated the peasant class harshly, they did not see the advantage of gaining the support of the larger lower class as about 82% and they did not take full advantage of that.
Workers were paid low wages, were forced to perform in unsafe working conditions, and lack of job security caused the workers to form unions. Workers began an effective sit-down strike at factories which prevented the employers from hiring other people to replace the workers. The women organized a first aid station, child care, and collected money and food to aid the strikers and their families. Laborers united across the country and organized strikes against other business. In 1935, Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act (hereinafter referred to as