USA HISTORY

WESTWARD EXPANSION INDUSTRIALIZATION URBANIZATION 1870 1900

AMERICAN INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN THE GILDED AGE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
“Labor Leaders executed for Causing Haymarket Riot” “State Militia called in to End the Homestead Strike” “1, 100 Jailed as Silver Miners Protested Wage Cuts” Which statement about labor unions in the late 1800s is illustrated by the above headlines?
A
strikes by labor unions usually gained public support
B
the government frequently opposed labor union activities
C
labor union demands were usually met
D
arbitration was commonly used to end labor unrest
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -On the other hand, “industrial unions” dominated the landscape of the late nineteenth century U.S. labor movement. Their goal was to organize all workers in a given industry regardless of skill level. Typically, they also disallowed discrimination based on race or national origin.

Detailed explanation-2: -Many workers were poor immigrants who had little choice but to keep working despite the conditions. If an employee complained, they were fired and replaced. At some point, workers began to revolt. They joined together and created unions in order to fight for safer conditions, better hours, and increased wages.

Detailed explanation-3: -A surge of technological innovations and inventions, like Thomas Edison’s incandescent lightbulb and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, fueled this economic growth. The economic boom made the rich richer and the poor poorer, widening the already large economic gap between the two groups.

Detailed explanation-4: -The American Federation of Labor supplanted the Knights of Labor, and it developed a quite different philosophy. Rather than trying to abolish the wage-labor system, it sought to use strikes to gain higher wages, lower working hours, and better working conditions for its members.

There is 1 question to complete.