How sucessful was the trade union movement in the post-Civil War era?

The Industrial Era (1876-1900) was one of the most important times in American History. It was somewhat the beginning of what our society is today with the development and advancement of big businesses and capitalism. The Industrial Era was a key to great things such as modernization, industry, and urbanization, yet was also brought the rise of poverty, congestion, pollution, corruption, and crime. Big business vs. workers was an extreme aspect of the Industrial Era. State and federal government played major roles in the development of big business. The Executive as well as Judicial branch of goverment played the largest role in promoting business intrests. Big business against workers led to the development of trade unions. As big business prospered, they became in more control of society especially being allied with the government. Adam Smith published The Weath of Nations as practically a bible for those who felt government should not be associated with business. Big business continued to prosper and began to hire more and more workers to increase their profit. This led to businesses to have to lower wages. This was the main issue in the Industrial Era. Those whom were unsatisfied with their "poverty wages" as business owners stuffed their pockets with profits, formed into what is known as Labor Unions. Though Labor Unions were a great cause and way to fight big business, they were only sucessful in organization rather than making any long-term changes as they planned, meaning they were, as a whole, unsucessful in their goals.

The first major national trade union was formed right after the end of the Civil War. It was the National Labor Union (NLU). It was the first trade union to organize workers without specific requirements based upon race, gender, or level of skill. It was also open to workers of both agarian and industrial economy. Some of its goals included higher wages and the eight-hour worday. It was a time period where a ten-hour workday was average. Many workers worked longer than this. NLU was sucessful in winning eight-hour workdays for FEDERAL employees. The wages did not change nor did work hours for those in agarian or industrial work.

The Knights of Labor union was organized in 1869. Led by Terence Powderly it was somewhat opposite of the NLU. Though the NLU was in favor of equality amongst races and genders, Powderly believed in "arbitration to the strike". The Knights of Labor's objectives tended to be radical yet their approach was more modest. Membership rates of the Knights of Labor rapidly increased to three-quarters of a million members before the dreaded Haymarket riot in 1886. The Haymarket riot was was organized to protest the treatment of workers at the McCormick Harvester factory. During the protest, due to the police methods of stopping the riot an "unknown assailant", tossed a bomb klling officers ordered to stop the protest. This led to American society to blame labor unions for the violence.

The American Federation of Labor(AFL) was the union whose goals were set as "realistic". The leader of AFL was Samuel Gompers. AFL was open to skilled workers. Gompers used his membership powere to win concessions from management. It was more sucessful than the other unions. Though it was the most sucessful it was not as great as it would eventually become in the twentieth century.

Last was the Industrial Workers of the World(IWW). This union was for those with revolutionary views. The IWW was primarily radical. They were willing to challenge owners for control of the businesses. The were not satisfied with just rasing wages. They believed ownership by the working class was the only solution to the labor system. They were led by "Big Bill" Haywood.

The main advantage business had over workers and labor unions was the alliance with the government. Usage of government is mostly prominent in the reactions to riots and protests. There is a similarity between them all. Some type of police or military force is always called upon when there was a protest or riot. Examples include the Railroad Strike of 1877, Haymarket Square Riot of 1886, The Homestead Strike of 1892, and The Pullman Strike of 1894. They all either call upon military forces or government intervenes to stop the protest. Even the Supreme Court handed down decisions controlling unions and undoing legeslation that could affect capital accumulation.

Other tacticts were taken by businesses to stop unions. Replacement workers or "scabs" would be hired to replace workers that were protesting. They would often wokr for less pay. Blacklists were created to make unon organizers and activists unable to recieve a job somewhere else. Their name would be taken and sent to other industries. Immigrants, women, and children were employed. Division was created by pay seperation usually based upon race. Unions would try to retaliate by sabotaging company property, slowing down the production process which led to less profits. There were also "sit down" strikes where workers would occupy the workplace and...sit.

In Conclusion, despite the tactics unions used to retaliate, membership in U.S. trade unions never exceeded more than three percent. Although federal government failed to address the nation's workers, government did recognize workers by creating a holiday. In 1894 U.S. Congress made Labor Day a national holiday. In the end, though labor unions were a great cause and way to fight big business, they were only sucessful in organization rather than making any long-term changes as they planned, meaning they were, as a whole, unsucessful in their goals.