02.06: Labor Movements
The Big IdeasWhy did workers need labor unions? What were their goals?
How were the Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor similar and different?
Who fought against the unions? Why?
Why did some Americans turn to socialism and communism during this period?
What was the status of unions at the end of the 19th Century?
People
Eugene V. Debs – (What role did he play in the formation of unions and the Pullman Strike?)
President Grover Cleveland – (What was his reaction to the Pullman Strike?) / Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects)
Haymarket Riot –
Homestead Strike –
Pullman Strike –
Vocabulary (fill in effects from the lesson where possible or put the definition in your own words)
American Federation of Labor (AFL) –an alliance of trade and craft unions created by Samuel Gompers
Anarchy –system of government in which the state is seen as undesirable and unnecessary; it opposes capitalism, which enriches one part of society while impoverishing another, and values the will of individuals over that of the state
Capitalism – an economic system in which the means of production are controlled by individuals rather than the state
Collective bargaining – negotiations between an employer and representatives of groups of employees to reach agreement on working conditions
Communism –an economic and political system in which the state owns and controls all property
Free Market Economy–an economy in which market forces determine prices and allocation of resources
Haymarket Riot – a worker protest in 1866 in Chicago that turned violent after a bomb exploded, killing several policemen and striking workers
Homestead Strike – act of 1862 that opened up western lands by giving individual settlers 160 acres with the requirement that they live on the land for a period of time and make minimal improvements
Knights of Labor (KOL) –labor union led by Uriah Stephens that offered membership to skilled and unskilled workers, as well as blacks and women
Labor union – a group of workers united in their goals and who act collectively
Market Economy – an economy in which market forces determine prices and allocation of resources
Mixed economy – an economy in which both market forces and the state determine prices and allocation of resources
Planned economy –an economy in which the state determines prices and allocates resources
Pullman Strike – a work stoppage in 1894 that was the result of the Pullman Company lowering worker wages