The Homestead Strike During the late 1800’s, the United States went through an immense amount of growth that marked a waypoint in the country’s history, named The Industrial Revolution. This period marked a milestone in development and industry U.S., causing the nation to become the leading country in industrial production. In many ways the United States created its own “American dream”, with more individuals becoming wealthier because of this economic explosion; however, not everyone received the long end of things. Life for factory workers deemed particularly difficult, with workdays lasting up to 16 hours for 6 days a week. Also workers received minimal amount of pay -usually 8-10 dollars a week, with women and children receiving …show more content…
Between late June and early July of 1892, 3,500 men began a strike against the nation’s largest steel producing company: Carnegie Steel. The dispute began over a rather serious situation: the lowering of wages from 25 dollars a ton to 22 dollars a ton, a 30 percent difference. This happened due to the lowering market prices of steel during the time. Where steel could be once sold for 25 dollars a ton, it fell to only being sold for 22 dollars, which meant that, due to a 3 year agreement that kept wages at a set rate, workers received 25 dollars for only 22 dollars’ worth of steel. Therefore it is understandable that Carnegie would lower the wages of the factory workers, since “the monthly payroll of the company amounts to $200,000, sometimes exceeding that amount”, while the company actually produced less than that in profits. However, the workers did not share this point of view with the company, thinking only about their pay cut. Though the workers have an understandable distaste towards the pay cut, the fact that they took so much aggression towards the company suggests that they didn’t understand the predicament the company faced, that their jobs resided on the need of the company making a profit, which it …show more content…
On July 30, 1892, the strike of the workers of Homestead Mill began. The chairman of Carnegie, H.C. Fick, quickly went to work protecting the Mill, by wrapping the plant in electrified fence topped with barbed wire. Also, Fick set up searchlights and even invested in a patrol boat for the river located next to the factory. Then it began: 3,500 men with access of up to 500,000 dollars against the wealth and power of Carnegie Steel. By July 5th, tensions had risen within the ranks of the workers, and Fick could sense it. That morning Fick asked for 100 police deputies to come to the mill to help keep the mob under control; however, the policemen arrived at the mill to find 1,000 standing outside the gates. Needless to say, the mob did not let the deputies enter the mill. Without the help of the police, Fick had been left in a very sticky situation, so he turned to hired guns: the Pinkerton Men. These men referred to themselves as “private investigators”; however, the Pinkerton more or less acted like hired gunmen for the highest bidder, or in this case, Carnegie. Fick hired 300 of these Pinkerton agents to help solve the issue. At 2 o’clock in the morning on July 6th, the Pinkertons moved in on the mill. Upon hitting land the detectives faced 1000 strikers, all of them waiting for the hired guns to make a move. “Only one
The homestead strike was a labor strike in which privste guards tried to tske control, killing 16 people. The strike was organized by Carnegie steel factory workers who later gained the support of a Union called the Amalgamated Association. Their goal was to increase their pay. Their appomemt Frick, the man incharge of the managment of the Carnefie company. His goal was to insure the company made profits, Both sides of the strike were written about.
After the Carnegie Steel Company refused to compromise with its workers on the new contract, which increased production demands and announced wage cuts, a violent conflict raged out and the workers went on a violent strike. The Homestead Strike was unsuccessful in its an attempt to unionize all iron and steel workers, but it brought attention to companies who abused power. The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel workers is a union attempting to unite all iron and steel workers and help compromise with the Carnegie Steel Company for an increase in wage with the new contract. The Carnegie Steel Company had just made major technological innovations in the 1880s with help from their new general manager Henry Clay Frick.
“Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America” written by, Les Standiford, an author and historian, with a B.A in Psychology from Muskingum College and Ph.D. degree in Literature from the University of Utah. Comes forth telling the enthralling story of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the bloody Homestead strike of 1892 that transformed their famous partnership into an enraged rivalry. The author’s main thesis is that the Homestead Steal Strike prompted the bloodiest conflict between management and work in United States history which led to the beginning of the end of the Carnegie - Frick partnership. To begin, Standiford introduces us to the two main protagonists of his book,
The two sources provided presented two different points of view regarding the Homestead Strike of 1892. The first reading is an article from the Pittsburgh Post. Since it is meant to be a record, there is no bias. Frick tries to be logical as he tries to justify his actions during the Homestead strike. He explains the different points between the Carnegie company and the men, such as the sliding scale system.
Viewing it as a possibility to improve the terrible work hours, extremely low wages, and dangerous work conditions. The Homestead Strike is an example of unhappy workers striking and revolting for better working conditions, which encapsulates the essence of the 1890s national crisis. The Homestead Strike taking place in 1892 at Homestead Steel Works in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The strike was called by the Alalmgated Association demanding better conditions for the labor workers; almost immediately the strike meet resistance from the hired Pinkerton strikebreakers and the national guard. As the workers meet harsh resistance, the strike had managed to turn into a violent battle, and the lasting defeat of the workers left 10 strikers and 3 Pinkerton strikebreakers dead.
Labor unions were successful because now workers have lunch breaks and have the weekends off. Workers demand higher wages during the Homestead Strike. There was a 3 mile, 12 feet high, birwire fence with holes for snipers, pinkerstins, weapons, patrolling river. Shots were fired, 160 strikers were charged, equped, they were let go because the people in the jury, but they did not win.
But he cannot simply be defined by the issues with the wage decrease, and therefore, does not deserve to be called a villain. Carnegie received a lot of hatred from those working under him. Most of the rhetoric unsurprisingly arose around the time of the Homestead Strike, when workers revolted against the
In 1860-1890, there was war between the Natives and the U.S. government. The U.S. government wanted to take over the Native Americans land. To do that, the U.S. government started a treaty called the Homestead Act, there was differnet kinds of conflict between the two groups, and the U.S. government killed the Natives resources. This expansion affected the lives of Native Americans across the land. The Homestead Act was a one of the effects that affected the lives of the Native Americans.
*Pullman Strike * The Pullman Strike was widespread by the United States railroad workers, approximately a quarter-million worker were on strike at the peak and it impacted the expedition the railroad system across the states. The strike between the American Railway Union and George Pullman changed the course of future strikes when President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to break up the strikers; its influenced how the federal government and the court system would handle labor issues. The labor issues during the Pullman Strike were not limited that of rights of the workers, the role of management in the workers private life, and the roles of government resolving labor conflicts. Pullman planned communities for his workers how he determined
They did not accept any competition and would go through great lengths to remain the main steel producers. This meant lowering production costs and paying lower wages. Their controversial decision to take down the AAISW (Amalgamated Association of Steel Workers) in 1892 led to the most horrific, catastrophic event in history. The workers were furious at getting lower wages and refused to work. Carnegie inconveniently leaves to his home in Scotland leaving Frick with all the trouble.
This is also known as the Homestead Strike. Carnegie then hired Pinkerton thugs to attack the workers. In the same excerpt, the author says, “he hired Pinkerton thugs to intimidate strikers. Many were killed in the conflict, and it was an episode that would forever hurt Carnegie's reputation and haunt the man.” He uses unfair ways to have a successful business through low wages, and using wealth to his
Andrew Carnegie was one of the most famous and wealthiest American industrialist during the Industrial Age. He was a robber baron who made a fortune in the steel industry and applied vertical integration to his business. Carnegie contradicted his views as a robber baron because he supported, but destroyed many unions. This made many of his views unethical.
1893 factory wages fell 25% due to depression & the rent that Pullman had made didn’t decrease. If a worker was in debt Pullman would take it out of their paycheck. 1894, May 11 three thousand Pullman workers had a “wildcat” strike many workers belonged to the American Railroad Union which founded by Eugene V. Debs, he was born in Indiana but moved to chicago to become a railroad fireman, he had saw how his fellow laborers were working in bad working conditions & he saw men working for low wages, and saw how some was injured & killed because of poor equipment safety so he was determine to make things better. June 26, 1894 some ARU members refused to let any train that had a Pullman car to move except for the ones with mail
The Problem with the American Dream According to the history books, the widely-known expression “the American Dream” was originally coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. It was first described in Adams’s book “The Epic of America” as “...not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” Over the years, America has become more egalitarian, but much must be done until there is true equality. Although the concept of the American Dream has always been believed to be open to everyone, throughout American history it has only been continuously accessible to the upper-class majority.
In the following quote from the Homestead strike reading is a reflection of what happened, “The Battle at Homestead will be remembered as an occasion where human greed and civil rights collided and neither one came out on top” The Homestead strike made the Industrial Revolution more harmful because it lost many lives that didn’t need to be lost. Carnegie company was one of the richest ever and it couldn’t afford to give poor men and women a small pay raise. Also, they created a horrible situation by sending in the Pinkertons to do their dirty work. The amazing thing is that Frick had a huge mansion ten miles away but he still had to starve families.