Revolt of Workers and Revolt of Workers and FarmersFarmers

The Search for AlliancesThe Search for Alliances

• The 1890s saw a continuation in the disparity of wealth that was growing in America.

• A few Americans were enjoying astonishing wealth and lavish homes.

• Most, however, toiled long hours under dangerous conditions for low pay.

• Categories of race and class pitted Americans against each other.

Unifying ForcesUnifying Forces

• Even in the midst of all these tensions, middle class Americans hoped that the nation could be unified by certain forces:– Public schools– Cultural institutions (i.e. museums & libraries)– “American values”

Class ConflictClass Conflict

• Pension Act of 1890 for disabled Union veterans funded by McKinley Tariff– Northeastern manufacturing states supported

a high tariff.– Western states supported tariff in exchange

for Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)– However, tariff hurt consumers whose wages

didn’t keep pace. Led to revolts.• i.e. Homestead Strike of 1892

Barriers to Labor OrganizationBarriers to Labor Organization

• Protestants v. Roman Catholics

• Irishmen v. Englishmen

• Whites v. Mexicans/Chinese/Blacks

Depression of 1873Depression of 1873

• 8000 businesses failed resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.

• 20 percent of all workers lost their jobs• Many became tramps and hoboes to find

jobs; others simply begged for handouts.• Jacob S. Coxey’s “army”

– 5000 men petitioned Congress for relief– Summarily arrested for trampling on grass in

from of the Capitol.

Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs

• Head of American Railway Union

• Led protest of its 150k members against conditions at Pullman Car Company (lowered wages; not rents)

• Strike crippled RRs• Prez Cleveland sent

troops to crush strike & issued fed injunction to force strikers back 2 work

Significance of Pullman StrikeSignificance of Pullman Strike

• The Pullman strike signaled big trouble for the poor and unemployed.

• Marked the first time the courts had ordered strikers to return to work.

• Highlighted the dangerous alliance between government and big business.

Judicial Confirmation of Judicial Confirmation of Government-Business RelationsGovernment-Business Relations

• In 1895 the Supreme Court rendered two opinions that favored big business & wealthy Americans:– United States v. E.C. Knight

• Rule: Sherman Act only applies to Interstate Commerce, not to manufacturers.

– Pollack v. Farmers’ Loan and Trust Company• Courts struck down an extremely modest federal

income tax (2% on $4000+/yr.)

1896 Presidential Election1896 Presidential Election

• Republicans nominated Congressman William McKinley of Ohio

• Democrats rejected Grover Cleveland who was regarded as a pariah after supporting big business and strike busters.

• Democrats and Populist both nominated William Jennings Bryan, a 36-year-old Populist from Nebraska.

• Marcus Hanna (wealthy iron magnate)• Raised $16 million for McKinley & smeared Bryan• McKinley won & the Populist Party disintegrated

Legacy of the PopulistLegacy of the Populist

• Yielded some remarkable interracial coalitions.• Coalition between black Republicans and poor

white Democrats resulted in victories in state legislatures and several governorships.

• However, were unable to sustain a region-wide coalition in the South– White southern democrats campaigned to

disenfranchise black men

• Blacks & poor whites would find no common political ground again until the 1930s*

Barriers to U.S. Workers Political Barriers to U.S. Workers Political MovementMovement

• Although socialism took hold in many parts of Europe during the 1890s, it never did so in America for a number of reasons:– Farmers and industrial workers found difficult in

allying with each other.– Large influx of immigrants created competition

amongst the poor.– Employers manipulated racial, ethnic, and religious

prejudices between workers (i.e. using blacks as scabs).

– Unions themselves remained segregated.– Employers sold pipe dreams to many of the poor who

therefore would not join unions etc.

Challenges to Traditional Gender Challenges to Traditional Gender RolesRoles

• In the 1890s women’s suffrage, club, missionary, and social settlement movements emerged as significant political forces.

• Unfortunately, white women in these movements refused to include their non-white counterparts.

SuffrageSuffrage

• In 1890 the two largest suffrage associations merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton served as its president for the first two years.

• Unfortunately, the organization had contradictory impulses:

• Brought supporters together from around the country• But did not allow poor, immigrant, or black women to join

Women’s ClubsWomen’s Clubs

• Some women entered the political realm through women’s clubs during the 1880s

• These clubs focused on self-improvement initially, but by the 1890s had embraced political activism

• Improvements in education, social welfare, hospitals, & playgrounds

• The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (1892) united many local clubs.

National Association of Colored National Association of Colored WomenWomen

• Because the GFWC excluded blacks, women formed their own federation in 1896 – the NACW.– Mary Church Terrell was their 1st president– They spoke out against lynch mobs and

segregation while working to improve local communities

Settlement ClubsSettlement Clubs

• Founded and staffed by well-educated women who had attended elite colleges.

• Hoped to instill in poor women the values of domesticity and pride in American citizenship.

• Jane Addams’ Hull House the most well-known.• Most settlement houses did not reach out to

blacks however; therefore blacks founded their own settlement houses (i.e. the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement, MN & the Neighborhood Union, Atl)