The Dignity Of Labor Essay

The Dignity of Labor The United States, being a huge country, had many resources that were necessary for industrial boom, like coal, iron, and oil. Factories were powered by water, which were later on replaced by coal and there was an abundance of grain to feed the growing population. The United States was made a single area of business by the Constitution and its commerce clause made, as the American government put up high tariffs, especially on steel, giving massive land endowments to railroads and by placing Native Americans on reservations. Europe finally saw the US as a developing economy and investments in the country offered higher returns than those available in Europe. In 1880, majority of the working population worked non-farming jobs. By Rather than farming or possessing their own businesses, two-thirds of Americans worked for wages by 1890. By 1913, America produced a third of the world’s total industrial production. One of the keys to the United States’ industrial success in the 19th century were the railroads, which helped in increasing commerce and integrated the American market that allowed national brands to emerge. The benefits of economic progress, however, were

All of the conditions mentioned above led to local and national labor unions. The Knights of Labor headed by Terence Powderly became the first national union, which started with 9 members in 1870 and grew to 728,000 by 1884. This union admitted black workers, women, and unskilled workers, and in 1886 it was damaged by the Haymarket riot. The American Federation of Labor headed by Samuel L. Gompers later on picked up organized labor, and they focused mainly on issues like pay, safety, and hours. Unions continued to grow and fight for better working conditions for the United States and its