Chapter 24

knights of labor

(GC) , one of the most important American labor organizations of the 19th century. Founded by seven Philadelphia tailors in 1869 and led by Uriah S. Stephens, its ideology may be described as producerist, demanding an end to child and convict labor, equal pay for women, a progressive income tax, and the cooperative employer-employee ownership of mines and factories. Leaderships under Powderly, successful with Southwest Railroad System, failed after Haymarket Riot

james j hill

-railroad executive who ran the great northern railroad, which ran along the US northern border, beyond the great lakes, in 1893

sherman anti-trust act of 1890

..., First federal action against monopolies, it was signed into law by Harrison and was extensively used by Theodore Roosevelt for trust-busting. However, it was initially misused against labor unions

national labor union

1866 - established by William Sylvis - wanted an eight hour work days, banking reform, greenbackism, equal rights to all people, and an end to conviction labor. This group attempted to unite all labourers, but collapsed when Sylvis died, and was disbanded in 1872. It was the templet for later unions. In its short time however, it forced to repeal the 1864 Contract Labor Act and the government to adopt an eight hour work day for its own employees

american federation of labor

1886; founded by Samuel Gompers; sought better wages, hrs, working conditions; skilled laborers, arose out of dissatisfaction with the Knights of Labor, rejected socialist and communist ideas, non-violent.

Interstate commerce act

1887 Act which required railroads to publish rates, forbade discrimination against shippers, and outlawed charging more for short haul than for a long one over the same line

samuel gompers

A labor union leader who founded the AFL. Serving as president he promoted harmony to the craft unions.

cornelius vanderbilt

A railroad owner who built a railway connecting Chicago and New York. He popularized the use of steel rails in his railroad, which made railroads safer and more economical.

transcontinental railroad

A train route across the United States, finished in 1869. It was the project of two railroad companies: the Union Pacific built from the east, and the Central Pacific built from the west. The two lines met in Utah. The Central Pacific laborers were predominantly Chinese, and the Union Pacific laborers predominantly Irish. Both groups often worked under harsh conditions.

alexander graham bell

American inventor and educator; his interest in electrical and mechanical devices to aid people with hearing impairments led to the development and patent of the telephone

john d rockefeller

An American industrialist and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy. In 1870, he founded Standard Oil Company and aggressively ran it until he officially retired in 1897.

ironclad oaths

Contracts between workers and businesses that made sure the workers would not join any sort of workforce union

american tobacco company

Controlled nine-tenths of the nation's cigarette production in 1890 and about three-fourths of all tobacco production in 1904; broken up in 1911 for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

james buchanan duke

Formed the American Tabacco Company, controlled 90% of the cigarette market; Founder of Duke University in NC

haymarket square

Labor disorders had broken out and on May 4 1886, the Chicago police advanced on a protest; alleged brutalities by the authorities. Suddenly a dynamite bomb was thrown that killed or injured dozens, including police. It is still unknown today who set off the bomb, but following the hysteria, eight anarchists (possibly innocent) were rounded up. Because they preached "incendiary doctrines," they could be charged with conspiracy. Five were sentenced to death, one of which committed suicide; the other three were given stiff prison terms. Six years later, a newly elected Illinois governor recognized this gross injustice and pardoned the three survivors. Nevertheless, the Knights of Labor were toast: they became (incorrectly )associated with anarchy and all following strike efforts failed.

terence v powderly

Leader of the knights of labor as an irish american. Won number of strikes for eight hour day. Membership mushrooms to 3/4 of a million after successful strike in 1885. Injury to one is the concern of all. All people can join except gamblers, liquor dealers, lawyers, and stock brokers. Campaigned for economic and social reform with safety. Frowned on industrial warfare and ten hour day.

leland stanford and collis p huntington

The four chief financial backers of the enterprise (aka the big four ) included

john p altgeld

Was the governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1893 until 1897. He was the first Democratic governor of that state since the 1850s. A leading figure of the Progressive Era movement, he improved workplace safety and child labor laws, pardoned three of the men convicted of the Haymarket Riot, and, for a time, resisted calls to break up the Pullman strike with force.

j p morgan

an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 he arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric. After financing the creation of the Federal Steel Company he merged in 1901 the Carnegie Steel Company and several other steel and iron industries

standard oil company of ohio

created by Rockefeller to bring order to oil industry in Cleveland. Rockefeller consolidated all the oil companies by buying them, and soon this company controlled almost 100% of the oil sales in the country. Produced own barrels, cans, etc