The Riot, The Pullman Strike, And The Homestead Strike

In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, labor was anything but easy. Factory workers faced long hours, low pay, high unemployment fears, and poor working conditions during this time. Life today is much easier in comparison to the late 1800s. Americans have shorter days, bigger pay and easier working conditions. Not comparable to how life is today, many riots sparked, and citizens began to fight for equal treatment. Along with other important events, the Haymarket Riot, the Pullman Strike, and the Homestead strike all play a vital role in illustrating labor’s struggle to gain fair and equitable treatment during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Treatment during the late 1800s is much different from how Americans are treated in daily life now.†¦show more content†¦Overall, in the 1900s workdays were long, pay was small and workers were worked hard. Now, work days are shortened, the pay is higher, and working conditions are much more ideal. In the 1800s and early 1900s working conditions were much harsher than now. Long hours and small wages made up a day in the life of someone living in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. The Haymarket Riot was the result of the bombing in Chicago. â€Å"In the summer 1886 the campaign for an eight-hour day, long a rallying cry that united American laborers, culminated in a national strike on May 1, 1886. Between 300,000 and 500,000 workers struck across the country. In Chicago, police forces killed several workers while breaking up protestors at the McCormick reaper works. Labor leaders and radicals called for a protest at Haymarket Square the following day, which police also proce eded to break up. But as they did, a bomb exploded and killed seven policemen. Police fired into the crowd, killing four. The deaths of the Chicago policemen sparked outrage across the nation and the sensationalization of the â€Å"Haymarket Riot† helped many Americans to associate unionism with radicalism† (Yawp). As a result of the Haymarket Riot was the loss of members of the Knight of Labor. â€Å"The national movement for an eight-hour day collapsed†(Yawp). The Haymarket Riot played an important role in illustrating how labor was in the late 1800s to theShow MoreRelatedCivil Railroad Strike : The Pullman Strike976 Words   |  4 Pages1800’s Strikes Pullman Strike: The Pullman Strike was a nationwide railroad strike in the United States on May 11, 1894. The American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company, and the government of the United States, President Grover Cleveland. 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