Building Industrial America on the Backs of Labor
About this episode
This episode explores the transformation of American labor after the Civil War, focusing on the rise of industrialization and the formation of early labor unions.
After the Civil War, as more and more people crowded into urban areas and joined the ranks of wage earners, the landscape of American labor changed. For the first time, the majority of workers were employed by others in factories and offices in the cities. Factory workers, in particular, suffered from the inequity of their positions. Owners had no legal restrictions on exploiting employees with long hours in dehumanizing and poorly paid work. Women and children were hired for the lowest possible wages, but even men’s wages were barely enough upon which to live. Poor working conditions, combined with few substantial options for relief, led workers to frustration and sporadic acts of protest and violence, acts that rarely, if ever, gained them any lasting, positive effects. Workers realized that change would require organization, and thus began early labor unions that sought to win rights for all workers through political advocacy and owner engagement. Groups like the National Labor Union and Knights of Labor both opened their membership to any and all wage earners, male or female, Black or White, regardless of skill. Their approach was a departure from the craft unions of the very…
People in this episode
Host: Miranda Casturo
Topics covered
- American labor history
- industrialization
- labor unions
- workers' rights
- post-Civil War America
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: National Labor Union, Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor
More episodes of A Journey into Human History
- Political Corruption in Postbellum America
- Relief from the Chaos of Urban Life
- The African American “Great Migration” and New European Immigration
- Urbanization and Its Challenges
- A New American Consumer Culture
- From Invention to Industrial Growth
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