year and one in one hundred workers was killed. The year of 1910 was the worst years for the railroads, 3,383 workers were killed and 95,671 was injured. For the injured workers and the workers that were killed received no compensation at all. In some cases, the workers who were injured or killed got a little more money than burial expenses. In Pennsylvania coal fields the bosses thought they were doing each family a favor by giving the deceased man’s son the job to take over their father’s job. The employers were not liable for the injuries or deaths that happened at the factories. Diseases were also a huge problem in the factories. Diseases such as black lung, white-lung, and silicosis were spread across the factories. c. The ages
The winners and losers are clearly demonstrated in the cases Ryan v. New York Central Railroad (1866) and Farwell v. Boston and Worcester Railroad (1842). In Ryan v. New York Central Railroad, a fire broke out on a railroad train and eventually spread to Ryan’s house where it burned to the ground. It was found that the train company was not at fault because it could not control how the fire would spread or foresee the damages of their negligence. (Hall 211) In Farwell v. Boston and Worcester Railroad, Farwell was suing because his hand was crushed by a train accident when another employee did not switch the train to the correct track. It was found that the employer was not responsible for the actions of their employee, moving away from the master and servant doctrine that was precedent. It also found that employees had to assume the risk of their work prior to taking the job, so they should ensure that they get paid enough money in order to assume the risk. This put the burden of injury on the the employee, and put making a safe working environment on the employee.(Hall 184). From these cases it became clear that the “winners” in the nineteenth century were those growing the economy, or the companies. In both cases it was found that the companies were not at fault and the burden of proof shifted to the employees and those affected by the
In the late nineteenth century, many European immigrants traveled to the United States in search of a better life and good fortune. The unskilled industries of the Eastern United States eagerly employed these men who were willing to work long hours for low wages just to earn their food and board. Among the most heavily recruiting industries were the railroads and the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania. Particularly in the steel mills, the working conditions for these immigrants were very dangerous. Many men lost their lives to these giant steel-making machines. The immigrants suffered the most and also worked the most hours for the least amount of money. Living conditions were also poor, and often these immigrants would barely have enough money and time to do anything but work, eat, and sleep. There was also a continuous struggle between the workers and the owners of the mills, the capitalists. The capitalists were a very small, elite group of rich men who held most of the wealth in their industries. Strikes broke out often, some ending in violence and death. Many workers had no political freedom or even a voice in the company that employed them. However, through all of these hardships, the immigrants continued their struggle for a better life.
In the Revolution factories had bad accidents. In factories, workers would often get hurt working. There were several cases of lung disease/ cancer. For example, in
At the beginning of the 20th century a New York editorialist wrote that the 20th century began in the United States with "a sense of euphoria and self-satisfaction, a sure feeling that America is the envy of the world"(World History Timeline "1900-1901"). The president was Teddy Roosevelt, who enjoyed enormous popularity due to the general happiness of the American people. A thriving industry created many jobs for immigrants and others. A monumental event took place in 1901 when the New York Stock Exchange exceeded 2 million shares for the first time ever (World History Timeline "1900-1901"). The tycoon J.P. Morgan created the U.S. Steel Co. in 1901, which became the first billion-dollar corporation in the world (Historical Daily Almanac). The Ford Motor Co. was established in 1903, and Henry Ford developed the first Model T automobile that sold for $850. All of this led to an extremely low unemployment rate of 4%(Historical Daily Almanac "1904").
The 1920s was a time of conservatism and it was a time of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, forces clashed to produce the most explosive decade of the century. It was the age of prohibition, it was the age of prosperity, and it was the age of downfall.
The Coal Strike of 1902 occurred as a result of many problems that were faced by miners. At the time of the coal strike there were 150,000 miners working in the mines (Grossman) Due to the depression of 1893, miners had their wages cut and were living in poverty (Grossman). Many miners were dissatisfied and looked to the United Mine Workers for support in raising their standard of living. This proved difficult since employers refused to recognize labor unions for fear of giving them significant control over the industry. In most instances of employee demands before 1902, employers would use government troops or hire immigrants to take the jobs of the strikers (David Kennedy).
Lots of accidental deaths happened around that time to with the factories and even farming. With all these deaths happening you can see how sad and tragic these deaths are, from and to see that the deaths are not the places you There were many miners from the start of 1851 and many that had died from tragic things. 15 Miners had died from stone and coal from working in the mines and forty nine from explosions. Many miners died in the hospitals, mines, explosions, and sundries.
Many factories became short-handed and had to hire women to cover the jobs. The factories were very dangerous and unhealthy, and the women were only getting paid half the wages of men. The women were not unionized because the Labor Union said that they had to hire many women to replace one man and that the skilled tasks were broken in to several less skilled tasks. They had no protection, so their lungs and skin were exposed to dangerous chemicals. Many women worked in munitions factories, where they worked with sulphur.
Sometimes a chain would break on one of the machines, dynamite would accidentally explode, shouting and yelling would occur,and there have even been reports of people dying in the factories. Although this is a big problem, it was mostly just caused by the working laws at the time. Back then, it was perfectly legal to work 12 hours straight, so around ending time, the workers would be so exhausted that there would be accidents. In the passage it states “"They wipe a man out here every little while," a worker said in 1893. "Sometimes a chain breaks, and a ladle tips over, and the iron explodes.... Sometimes the slag falls on the workmen.... Of course, if everything is working all smooth and a man watches out, why, all right! But you take it after they've been on duty twelve hours without sleep, and running like hell, everybody tired and loggy, and it's a different
The dangers of the factories to working children were very real. In document one it outlines the life a child worker from the perspective of William Cooper. In his testimony it was said that he had been working since he was ten years old. Their working hours were five in the mornings to nine at night. It also states that out of the many hours the now eighteen year old had been working, only one forty minute period in those sixteen hours were used as a free meal time. In document one it states “At times we were frequently strapped.” This was used as a response when Cooper was asked if there were steps taken to keep them awake and attentive. In document two it states that there were frequent accidents happening due to the large and intricate
Every year, almost 1,500 people who have worked in the nation’s coalmines die from black lung disease. That’s equivalent to the Titanic sinking every year, with no ships coming to the rescue. While that disaster which took place so long ago continues to fascinate the nation, black lung victims die an agonizing death in isolated rural communities, away from the spotlight of publicity.
The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was a major event in Canadian History. Although it connected the east and west coast of early Canada, it was also a very dangerous and arduous project for its workers. Chinese immigrants were discriminated and were given the hardest jobs during the construction of the railway. The manner in which they were treated was unacceptable and inhumane. Therefore, comparing the regulations used during the creation of the CPR to Canada’s present safety standards will conclude if Canada has substantially improved its work safety since the railway's completion.
Coal mining in the 1920s was extremely difficult job in which miners endured many challenges and hardships. The 1920’s safety was not on everyone’s mind. It was as if the miners were just tools to be used. The equipment the miners used was a marvel for its time, as it was just the start to a technological advancement. Miners faced hardships such as low wages, long hours, and the difficulty of the work conditions.
Mr. Matera claimed that over 220 mine workers have died in Anglo American mining operation in a five years span from 2003 to 2008, among other workplace safety abuse and labour abuse. The death cause varied from lethal fumes of polyurethane foam to methane gas explosion (Mattera, 2008).
However it wasn't nearly as bad as the Africans during European imperialization. First off, because workers had to start at a young age, they were very tired. In fact, in Life in the Mines it says, "It even happens that they lie down on the way home, and are found by their parents late at night asleep on the road." (Engels, 1) This quote shows how kids are so tired on their walks home, that they actually fall asleep on the road. Just take a moment to let that sink in. How tired would someone have to be to fall asleep on the road, and just forget about getting back to a safe house. In addition to falling asleep on the road, this tiredness led to more fatal outcomes. Here is a quote from the short story A memoir of Robert Blincoe, "He saw her whirled round and round with the shaft - he heard the bones of her arms, legs, thighs, etc. successively snap asunder, crushed, seemingly, to atoms, as the machinery whirled her round..." (Brown, 5) As you can see, kids being tired actually led to them dying sometimes because a lack of focus around this dangerous machinery could lead to death. Taking this into consideration some people might say factory workers were treated worse, however they had more of a choice than the Africans