In the 19th century, the United States were largely an agricultural nation. American workers, artisans, and journeymen got low salary and lived poor life. More than 40 percent of Americans lived in dismal circumstances. More than 80% of black people were slaves. They could not vote, present their own points of view, and bridled up. Only their masters could make them free. Unfortunately, not every white man was eager to set free such cheap labor.
Before the 1920s immigration into United States was numerically unrestricted, reflecting a tradition of laissez-faire labor mobility that dated to the colonial period. (Ngai, 17)
Since the factory industry was raised considerably, poor women and children were hired in order to run the machines. Most of such workers were too naïve. They thought their work would be paid highly sooner or later. They agreed to work more in expectation of earning more money in near future.
However, the conditions became more and more disappointing. The great variety of people got only as little as half of the promised salary. The questions of gender and race became more and more obvious.
The first issue to discuss will be women’s rights and property rights. In the early 19th century, women’s rights were limited all over the world. Male domination and gender-biased laws were the major obstacles for women to achieve the equal rights. Women were considered to be obedient wives and never present personal points of view. They could not vote and speak in public.
Such inferiority of women to men caused too much discontents as well. Absent property rights tended women to live in poverty. It was necessary to create the union that defended women’s rights. Only in the middle of the 19th century, women’s suffrage movements appeared. Their first steps were uncertain. Naivety and blind trust were typical for the colonial period in the 19th century. Working people and married women had nothing to do but listen to the words of their masters/husbands and carry out all the commands.
It should be mentioned that the necessary Amendment that permitted women to vote was taken only in 1920.
One more issue that needs to be discussed is race inequality and its consequences.
It becomes apparent that the Negro was primarily a device by which a white philosophy of race relations was advanced. ( Buck, 210).
At the beginning of the 19th century, it was very difficult for an African American to get a good job. Usually, black people were working at plants and did the hardest work. One of the first organizations that became to defend the rights of African Americans was Knights of Labor. Lots of black people joined that organization. However, on my opinion, their biggest mistake was their disability to demonstrate and prove that other people (whites) used black labor unfair.
Black people truly believed that their work skills constituted one of the possible forms of property. It is another evidence of the naivety of American workingmen. The discontents took place more often and became one of the major reasons of creation various labor unions.
Knights of Labor was one of the first labor organizations started by tailors in Philadelphia. It was organized on the industrial bias. They stroke and tried to assert own rights. They motto was: “An Injury to One is the Concern of All”. (Foner, 14)
The peculiar feature of that labor union was that its members were of various genders and races. They were women, black workers, and other employers. Their aims were the cancellation of child labor, 8-hour working day, and illumination of private banks.
The members of Knights of Labor thought that private banks used too idealistic methods. It was impossible for a woman or an African American to take a loan. Such conditions were offensive for lots of people. So, the only way was to unite and strike against the ruling authority.
However, the methods they chose to achieve the desirable goals were not really effective. Because of unsuccessful strikes and mismanagement, Knights of Labor was extinct in 1900.
One of the most prominent events of the 19th century was, of course, the Civil War.
At times, a confluence of economic, social, cultural, and political factors has impelled major shifts in society’s understanding (and construction) of race and its constitutive role in national identity formation. The Civil War was obviously one of those times; the present multicultural moment is another. (Ngai, 7).
The major purpose of that war was the ending of slavery. The results of the war were disagreeable for both, the Union and CSA. However, it was one of the most significant steps to slavery ending and equality of rights.
At the end, it is necessary to underline once again that the 19th century was a period of formation of property rights. People did not know what steps to take. American workers were too naïve to realize that words could hardly help. People used all possible methods: strikes, rebellions, etc. Some of them were quite successful and gave way to further activities. The results were seen in the middle of the XX century.
Work Cited
Ngai M.M. “Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America.” Princeton University Press, 2004
Foner P.S. “May Day: A Short History of the International Workers’ Holiday”., International Publishers,1986
Buck, P. “Road to Reunion: 1865-1900.”, 1937.