Labor Unions Emerge

 In its entirety, Labor unions were good, because they worked to put a stop to unfair treatment and horrible working conditions.

Sweatshops were places where adults and children worked for little pay, with no breaks. The Triangle Shirtwaist was a sweatshop in which 146 seamstresses died because of a fire that spread through the building. The workers could not escape because all but one door was locked to prevent theft, and the exit door was blocked by fire. This could have been prevented by labor unions, because they would have faught for better working conditions for the workers.

Hopelessly Bound to the Stake

Did government have any responsibility for placing workers on the stake?

This politaical cartoon is an example of the cruel treated workers by their wealthy employers. The workers had poor working conditions and they were paid very low. So low that they could not afford proper living conditions. Labor unions were necessary, because the workers had the right to be heard and treated fairly. The governments money contributed to workers on the stake because they were not wealthy and they had no choice but to follow the wealthy mens orders.

Rise of Industry & Monopolies

America became the leading industrial power in the world by the 1920's about 60 years after the Civil War. The three main reasons for Americas industrial growth was its abundance of natural resources, the governments support for business, and a growing population that provided both cheap labor and markets for new products. During America's early industrial age, trust and monopolies created a way for merchants to find social darwinism. It also resulted in the unfair treatment towards the laborers.