HIST 3305 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Free Silver, Espionage Act Of 1917, Labour Leader
Freedmen’s Bureau
oFederal government agency established in mid 1890’s to aid freed slaves in south
after CW
oLed by Oliver Howard
oPlan to grant freed slaves loans and land so they can start new lives
oGained lack of support and many black codes were passed in south, making it
short lived
oSignificant because it was first organization to aid feed slaves
Sharecropping
oLandowners allows tenant to use land/tools in exchange for a share of crops
produced
oPopular after CW in reconstruction era
oTook place in south
oAfrican Americans and poor whites could not get jobs, so they became
sharecroppers
Owed more money than they could repay, which made them “owned” by
landowners again
oSignificant because it resulted in large economic boost in south
Dawes Act
oPolicy of US gov’t to patrician and distribute land in west
oInstituted after Homestead Act to encourage westward expansion.
oReduced NA land holding by half
o All indians willing to giveuptheir communal ways and adopt "habits of civilized
life were given 160 acres each.
oAllowed the government to sell the reservation land to white settlers and
continued to give congress the right to give railroad and telegraoh companies
rights to indian land.
oSignificant because it secured land for US govnt, forced assimilation on NA tribe
and destroyed their society, propagated suicide, and parceled up land into neat
units to give business interests
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Knights of Labor
oOne of largest national unions founded in 1809 with more members joining after
1877
oAll male, female, whites, blacks, skilled and unskilled workers to join
oLawyers, prostitutes, and gamblers were unable to join
oUsed to unite workers as well as build better cooperate labor management
relations
Workers were treated unfairly with low pays and long hours
oSignificant because it resulted in large companies to bargain with their employees
and create more diplomacy in workplace
Haymarket Affair
oMay 4, 1886 a labor protest rally near Chicago’s Haymarket Square turned into a
riot after someone threw a bomb at police
oAt least 8 people died
oDespite lack of evidence, eight radical labor activists were convicted in
connection with bombing
oViewed as a setback for organized labor movement in America, which was
fighting for such rights as 8 hour workdays
At same time, men convicted in connection with riot were viewed by
many in labor move as martyrs
Homestead Strike
oHomestead, Penssylvania
oPitted Carnegie Steel Company against nation’s strongest trade union, the
Amalgated Association of Iron and Steel Workers
o1889, Strike won steelworkers a favorable 3 year contract
1892; Andrew Carnegie wanted to break the Union
3 pinkertons and 7 workers died. Ater 4 days the government sent a militia
of 8000 to end the strike and negotiate, but the workers did not agree to
the governments claims and the strike continued. It gained international
and national support, but the gov sided with frick and carnegie. THe AA
collapsed under the weight of captitalism.
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Pullman Strike
o1894, Government intervened on behalf of capitalists and owners over workers
and Union.
oCity was owned by Pullman including housing and stores
All money made funneled towards to Pullman
oWhen depression of 1894 hit, Pullman fired 1/3 of workers and cut wages by 25%
American railroad Union called for a strike, and workers across the nation
refused to work for trains pulling Pullman’s cars
Govn’t shut down strike and workers went back to Pullman for work
oSignificant because it was first time a federal injunction had ever been used to
break up a strike
Also showed how unfair working conditions were
The Grange
oLeague of farmers
oEmerged in late 19th century during period of conflict between capital and labor
oFarmers organized around high prices and lack of access to capital to promote
their economic interests
oSignificant because it was a part of larger movement of labor against capital that
set back labor
Populist
o"The People's Party" incorporated a variety of American voters and interests
broadly united against capital (bosses, upper classes, ruling classes...).
oThey had members all over but predominated in rural/ agriculture areas like the
Midwest/ South.
oThey wanted nationalization of the railroads, silver coinage, agriculture loans, etc.
o United behind William Jennings Bryan as a presidential candidate in the 1896
election (1890s).
oThis is significant because though they lost some of their ideas as espoused in the
"Cross of Gold" speech where adopted by major political parties.
William Jennings Bryan
oWas a US lawyer and politician
oAdvocated coinage of silver and relief for farmers
oProsecutor of Scopes in the Scope “Monkey Trial” for teach evolution in a
Tennessee high school
oOne of the most famous speeches was the “Cross of God” speech about free silver
and relief for farmers
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Document Summary
Owed more money than they could repay, which made them owned by landowners again: significant because it resulted in large economic boost in south. Knights of labor: one of largest national unions founded in 1809 with more members joining after. 1877: all male, female, whites, blacks, skilled and unskilled workers to join, lawyers, prostitutes, and gamblers were unable to join, used to unite workers as well as build better cooperate labor management relations. Workers were treated unfairly with low pays and long hours: significant because it resulted in large companies to bargain with their employees and create more diplomacy in workplace. At same time, men convicted in connection with riot were viewed by many in labor move as martyrs. Homestead strike: homestead, penssylvania, pitted carnegie steel company against nation"s strongest trade union, the. Amalgated association of iron and steel workers: 1889, strike won steelworkers a favorable 3 year contract. 1892; andrew carnegie wanted to break the union.
