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.
Most people who worked in the factories lived in the factories which had little living space, lack of proper ventilation and lack of proper hygiene (Wikipedia). Due to the poor living conditions and overcrowding people were subject to health issues and death related from communicable diseases. Along with the poor living conditions, hunger and malnutrition were common during this time. Labor laws did not exist. Workers worked long hours without breaks and children were also subjected to these cruel working conditions as they were often put to work alongside their parents.
The industrial revolution affected the average workers both positively and negatively. With the invention of new machinery and new methods of transportation, the industrial revolution provides people with jobs and dwelling. However the working class still lived in poor condition due to the dangerous in factories and the polluted environment in the slum. The positive effect of the industrial revolution is shown in document 4 and 8 which reminded people of the “comforts and conveniences” that the industrial revolution brought to them. The use of machinery and mass production provided people with better clothing, cheaper housing and living necessity.
In picture A, its showing children with lost limbs while at work. This means the factories they worked in were very dangerous. In Document J, it's an interview between the interviewer and a child who works in a factories. The child had said he worked from 6am to 8pm and if he was ever late, he was severely beaten as he said. Children worked long hours, not adults but children and they received consequences for just being late.
Also, they would dump their human waste into the water and make it even more contaminated so when the people of Jamestown would drink or use the water it would make them ill and even to the point that they died. Within a couple of years they also faced drought which many people died because of starvation. The colony went to desperate measures by forcing the Indians to trade their grain, the Indians didn’t give up easy though as it says in the document ‘some harshe (harsh) and cruwell (cruel ) dealinge (dealings)by cutting of towe (two) of the salvages (Indians) heads and other extremities.” Another reason why the colonist died in the colony of early Jamestown was because of the skills they had. When the first ship arrived in Jamestown they brought over a total of 110 males in 1607. 47 of the men were gentlemen, back then, a gentlemen was a person of wealth who was not used to working with his hands.
Families moved from rural areas to the newly industrialized cities to find work. Once there, things were not as great as they dreamed they would be. In order to survive, families had to have everyone in the household working. This led to the epidemic of child labor with children, as young as six years old, working in harsh conditions for long hours in factories or coal mines (Dunlop, 1912). Young children could be hired to do the same jobs as adults for much less pay and could often fit into places adults couldn't.
People called these times the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, workers lost their jobs and many people went hungry as well. Milton didn’t want these things happening in Hershey, so he planned all kinds of new building projects to make sure all of his workers had a job. One day, someone had pointed out a steam shovel at one of his building sites. (The steam shovel did work for forty men.)
During this time, the state made several cuts to social care. This affected the social service industry greatly. The State of Illinois was the largest contributor to the agency for its duration, and had become delinquent with payments. This has affected the employees of Hull House as they are not receiving timely reimbursements, unable to carry out all work duties because of the reduction in hours, and receiving lower wages. The workers were not visiting the clients on a weekly basis as mandated by DCFS and paperwork was consistently late.
The Black Plague In the fourteenth century the medieval civilization was in decline. Population was decreasing rapidly, crops were failing, famine and Plague infested Europe. With all of these hardships it caused the economy to crumble and outlook on life was very pessimistic. In the reading “the high and late middle ages” the author is speaking to the serfs also known as the peasants. These are the people of the towns that were members of guilds and usually specialized in a certain area of work.
Jake Stadtlander Mr. Pachuta World Studies 15 May 2013 Industrial Working Conditions ` The life of people in the mines or factories in the early 1800's was very harsh. They work very long hours and in poor conditions as well. These people were also not paid very well. They were paid well below minimum wage in correlation with today. Kids, starting at very early ages, worked as well with no remorse for them.