The year was 1894. The season was summer. The United States was going through its first depression, the Panic of 1893. Businesses across the country had to cut worker wages. One such company was the Pullman Corporation. George Pullman was a businessman and an industrialist. He sought to build a model town that was a company town. It was known as the town of Pullman and it was in Illinois, near Chicago. To some this town seemed like a small utopia. However, what was golden on the outside was not golden on the inside. After the wage cut, the workers of Pullman were not pleased. Their rent went up, while their wages went down. When Pullman did not react how the workers hoped they would they started what would be called, the Pullman Strike of 1894. One could wonder how something as simple as wages could upset almost an entire town of people. What was happening in the little town of Pullman? What happened during the strike and what did it reveal of American society at the time? …show more content…
He thought that working people were the most important part of a manufacturing enterprise. He sought to build the best homes to the best class of mechanics sought out employment there. The town of Pullman, like the Pullman coach was supposed to model elegant-ness and neatness. There were no saloons in town and there was no selling of liquor. Additional protection of land was brought in around the outskirts of the city. The city was described as abnormally healthy. “Pullman presents a beautiful picture. It appears as a paradise.” From these descriptions one would think that Pullman was the best place to live and work. It was described as a paradise and seemingly perfect. However, that was far from the
In these two different historian viewpoints on the Pullman Striek, it seems as though Historian A is the most convincing. Historian A's viewpoint is backed by more statistics, while Historian B seems to take it from the viewpoints of the very few people who enjoyed living in Pullman, Illinois. The first historian mentions the various different ways that Pullman was making money from the city, including the difference in how much he bought things like water vs. how much he sold it to the residents for. For example, while Pullman's company paid $0.33 on natural gas, he sold it to the residents at $2.25. This was higher than most cities charged people for their natural gas (Chicago charged $1.00-$1.25).
Mistreatment Leads to Revolution: A Comparison of the Pullman Strike and “Animal Farm” One would probably never conder comparing a novel about talking animals rising up against the farmer to an actual historic event such as the Pullman Strike of 1894. There are many differences and similar connections that can be found between the Pullman Strike of 1894 and novel “Animal Farm” in the beginning before the strike and revolution took place, during, and after. The first connection that can be made between the Pullman Strike and “Animal Farm” can be found in before the uprisings took place. Before the Strike, the American economy was on an upward climb, the agriculture, railroad and mine industries were booming until the Depression of 1893, also known as the Panic of 1893 struck.
This was also the end of the strike, as the government defeated the
The candidates in the presidential campaign of the year 1868 included two men, Ulysses S. Grant and Horatio Seymour. During these times, there was only two political parties: the Democratic and Republican party. Ulysses S. Grant represented the republican party and Horatio Seymour represented the democrat party. The issues that occurred during the presidential campaign were….
The workers gather to listen to several speakers over the five days near the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company among those giving the speaks there was both a pled from those who discouraged violence and encourage the crowd to join together against the companies; however, this was also a pled from those who urge worked to take action of violent revolution. The Haymarket Riot turned into a violent event resulting in a controversy trial that supported the discrimination against union members. Perhaps the greatest lasting effect of the riot was that it created a widespread revulsion against union, which caused membership to decline and reduce union influence; because unions became lined to radical ideas and violence in the popular mind. (Avial,2011)
Labor strikes and riots were common during the time. Policies were put into place to prevent individuals from gaining this much power ever again. In todays’ modern Gilded Age loopholes have been exploited and the rich are becoming just as powerful as they have ever been. Individuals such as the Koch Brothers have taken up the plutocratic mantle, they “buy politicians” in order to further their agenda and business
The Haymarket affair is one most important events in Chicago’s labor protest is questionably still unknown to many of high school kids and down. At this mark in Chicago history several horrifying, and great events happened. Industrial workers were getting fed up with the intense hours and wanted change from their shady bosses. People associated with all the industrial works started to arrange private meeting to talk about what’s wrong within the industries. Soon several of the bosses found out about these meeting and paid the police to eliminate these meetings.
The organized labor of 1875-1900 was unsuccessful in proving the position of workers because of the future strikes, and the intrinsical feeling of preponderation of employers over employees and the lack of regime support. In 1877, railroad work across the country took part in a cyclopean strike that resulted in mass violence and very few reforms. An editorial, from the Incipient York Time verbalized: "the strike is ostensibly hopeless, and must be regarded as nothing more than a rash and splenetic demonstration of resentment by men too incognizant or too temerarious to understand their own interest" (Document B). In 1892, workers at the Homestead steel plant near Pittsburg ambulated out on strike and mass chaos the lives of at least two Pinkerton detectives and one civilian, among many other laborers death (Document G).
In the late 1800s, George M. Pullman decided to create a model neighborhood for his workers. The factory town featured idealized residences, indoor plumbing, a school and a church. Over the last century, this historic neighborhood has managed to narrowly avoid redevelopment. While at the Pullman Historic District, make sure to check out the Clock Tower
Meet You in Hell Essay Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America is written by Les Standiford. Standiford is a historian and author who lives in Miami. In “Meet You in Hell”, Standiford tells the story of two men during America’s Gilded Age, Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick, who rise to be among the wealthiest men in history. Carnegie and Frick rise to power, dominating the new found Industrial Era.
In a time when America was coming out of the bloodiest war that was ever fought, against themselves, The Civil War, and when America looked overseas for a new frontier with Imperialism. It is in this context that America started to grow westward with farm land and in industry with the million of workers, but America still felt growing pains. Two significant ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900) were the formation of organizations to protect farmers, and the creation of labor unions and the use of strikes to protect the workers. One significant way in which farmers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865 - 1900) was the formation of organizations to protect farmers. During Westward Expansion farmers fell victims to the low pricing of the crops.
Andrew Carnegie was one of the most famous and wealthiest American industrialist during the Industrial Age. He was a robber baron who made a fortune in the steel industry and applied vertical integration to his business. Carnegie contradicted his views as a robber baron because he supported, but destroyed many unions. This made many of his views unethical.
The Pullman Strike occurred at the Pullman Palace Car Company due to the Panic of 1893. The Panic of 1893 caused the car company to reduce the worker’s wages because the demand for luxury cars declined. George Pullman himself, who was a very successful businessman know for his innovation as an engineer (made the sleeping car), refused to negotiate, so the workers, and it eventually led to a boycott to the point that any train that transported Pullman cars were to refuse. The other major strike seen during this time period is the Homestead Strike. This strike took place at the Homestead Steel Plant run by Andrew Carnegie (one of the richest entrepreneurs in the Gilded Age).
The time period from when the Second Industrial Revolution was beginning, up until President McKinley’s assassination in 1901, is known as the Gilded Age. After the Civil War, many people headed out West to pursue agriculture, and many immigrants moved to urban areas to acquire jobs in industrial factories. It is in this context that farmers and industrial workers had to respond to industrialization. Two significant ways farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age, were creating the Populist Party and the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
In chapter 15, “Self-Help in Hard Times”, Zinn’s overarching point is that unity among workers was not simple to achieve, and that white supremacy was a powerful, deadly force after the war. To support and further discuss these concepts, Zinn points out how relations between the American Federation of Labor and the Industrial Workers of the World were often tense, how city life often changed drastically during times of strike, and how immigration laws during the twenties began to favor Anglo-Saxons. One such way Zinn showcases these ideas is by describing how drastically life changed for cities when workers went on strike, hoping for an increase in their wages. As the strike continued on throughout February of 1919, Zinn recalls how all services, except for those that were consider essential to daily life, ceased.