AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Late 19th Century Labor Conflict (Day 186/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Late 19th Century Labor Conflict as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Number of Workers on Strike By Year, Wikimedia Commons

Desiring better wages, improved working conditions, and labor rights, by 1900 labor unions organized thousands of strikes every year with some turning violent.

Destruction of the Union Depot, Wikimedia Commons

The 1877 Great Railroad Strike, triggered by wage cuts, engaged tens of thousands of workers in multiple states, sparking clashes with law enforcement, violence, sabotage of railroad assets, and the use of federal troops to restore order.

The Haymarket Riot, Wikimedia Commons

The 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, a labor protest for an eight-hour workday, turned fatal when a bomb exploded. Subsequent trials and the execution of suspected anarchist leaders fueled anti-labor union and anti-immigrant sentiments.

Pro-Union pamphlet with lyrics to a song in support of workers in the Homestead Strike of 1892, Wikimedia Commons

The July-November 1892 Homestead Strike arose as Carnegie Steel sought to dismantle the union, culminating in state militia intervention and reinforcing the dominance of industrialists over workers during the late 19th century.

The significant rise in labor conflicts during the late 19th century demonstrated widespread labor discontent and sparked debates about worker’s rights, the power of corporations, and the government's role in labor disputes.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Interstate Commerce Commission in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!