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UNIT 1:  THE GILDED AGE

LESSON 4:  THE LABOR WARS


LESSON MISSION

DIRECTIONS:
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Today's Lesson will focus on The Labor Wars that occurred during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era of U.S. History.  Let's begin by focusing our attention on the Lesson Mission.  
  1. Write Lesson 4: The Labor Wars as the next entry in the Table of Contents of your Lesson Chronicles.
  2. Turn to page 38 in your Unit 1 Lesson Chronicles.  Write your name, and the date at the top of page 38.  
  3. Write the Lesson Mission under the Lesson Mission header.​​
LESSON MISSION QUESTION:
What were the labor wars of the Gilded Age; who was involved; how did it develop; what were the major issues and events; and what impact did the labor wars have on America?
This portion of your Lesson Chronicles is embedded below.
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CHALLENGE 1

CHALLENGE 1 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 1 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 1 Target header.
I can create a skeleton outline of a nonfiction text about the Labor Wars of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
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CHALLENGE 1 DIRECTIONS:
Now we will practice a "Before You Read Strategy" when reading nonfiction text.  It is called a skeleton outline.  In a skeleton outline, you identify the headers and subheads in the text and analyze the way that they are organized, to make predictions about the text.
  • Write your name and date at the top of your Lesson 4 Challenge 1 Chronicles.  
  • Write the Challenge 1 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 1 Target header.
  • With the class, use the headers, sub-headers, and pictures to fill in the skeleton outline.
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CHALLENGE 2

CHALLENGE 2 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 2 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 2 Target header.
I can define major vocabulary from a nonfiction text about the Labor Wars of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
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CHALLENGE 2 DIRECTIONS:
Now we will look over the vocabulary for the lesson and use it to make predictions about the reading by playing in the "Labor Wars Arcade."  In this activity, you will play different arcade games to help you learn the vocabulary words in this reading.  You will then use these vocabulary words along with your skeleton outline to make predictions about the reading.
  • Write your name and date at the top of your Lesson 4 Challenge 2 Chronicles.  
  • Write the Challenge 2 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 2 Target header.
  • Click on the Arcade icon to play the Vocabulary Games.  Play at least one round of all the games.
  • After playing games, go to Challenge 2 in your Chronicles and write the correct vocabulary word next to each definition.
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  • Click on the icon below to play the vocabulary games.
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CHALLENGE 3

CHALLENGE 3 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 3 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 3 Target header.
I can identify the main ideas of a nonfiction text about the Labor Wars of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
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CHALLENGE 3 DIRECTIONS:
Now we will read the lesson text, The Big Argument."  After each section, we will stop and identify the main ideas.  Write these main ideas in your Get the Gist Graphic Organizer under Challenge 3.
  • Write your name and date at the top of your Lesson Chronicles.  
  • Write the Challenge 3 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 3 Target header.
  • We will read the following reading as a class and will stop after each section.  I will use the spinner to select one person to tell me the main idea.  
  • Fill in the main idea for each section in your Lesson 4 Challenge 3 Chronicles, as we go over it in class.
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THE BIG ARGUMENT


LABOR AND CAPITAL

PictureBuilding the Brooklyn Bridge
Two major groups of people worked hard to build the American infrastructure and grow the American economy during the Gilded Age.  It was an incredible accomplishment and one group could not have done it without the other.  Unfortunately, a major disagreement developed between the two groups.  This disagreement kept growing more and more out of control.  The events that occurred during this fight, became known as the Labor Wars.

The Entrepreneurs
PictureEntrepreneurs and workers building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
First, there were the entrepreneurs.  Entrepreneurs are businessmen who take financial risks to start a business.  Many entrepreneurs were not successful.  A few became major industrialists.  The entrepreneurs provided the capital that paid for the national infrastructure and opened and ran the industries that elevated the American economy.  

The Industrial Workforce
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The other group was America's industrial workforce.  If you will recall, in Lesson 3, you learned about the industrial workforce.  The industrial workforce refers to all the people that worked in industries.  It was the industrial workforce of the Gilded Age that built the U.S. infrastructure and manufactured the nation's products that boosted the U.S. economy.  

Rising to Power
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These two groups played a vital role in helping America rise to a world power status.  It all began before the Civil War when the United States focused its attention on industrializing.  The U.S. government began paying entrepreneurs to build infrastructure projects such as roads, dams, bridges, tunnels, sewer systems, water systems, telegraph and eventually telephone wires, power stations, and most importantly railroads.  

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Above: The United Kingdom
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Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland, and Wales.  When people refer to the United Kingdom, they are referring to the region of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
These advancements in infrastructure, funded by entrepreneurs and built by the industrial workforce, allowed the U.S. to build and expand businesses all over America.  By the end of the Gilded Age, the United States had passed Great Britain in the amount of industrial products sold worldwide.  This made the U.S. the top seller of industrial products in the world.  ​

​In 1882, the government hired entrepreneurs' companies to build new ships for the navy.  Industrial workers came to work for these companies.  They worked hard to build armored cruisers and battleships.  This project lasted for about a decade and by the beginning of World War I, the U.S. had the largest navy in the world.
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The Great White Fleet was the American Navy Fleet under President Theodore Roosevelt that sailed around the globe.
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The national infrastructure led to a thriving economy.  A thriving economy paid to strengthen the U.S. Navy.  With a thriving economy and a strong military, the United States gained more influence in world affairs and soon became a major world power.

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW

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Unfortunately, a huge conflict developed between the two groups of people who worked hard to make America great.  The entrepreneurs and industrialists believed that Americans had the right to start businesses and run them as they saw fit.  They felt it was their right to do what they needed to manufacture their product in the most efficient way, in order to make a profit.  

​The Industrialists' View
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Employers looked at their employees as a commodity.   A commodity is a part of doing business, or something of use that can be bought or sold.  In other words, they looked at their workforce as a machine, and not as individual human beings.  Industrialists felt that it was simply business.  Workers needed jobs and industrialists provided those jobs.  Workers simply played a part in production, just as the factory, the machines, and the raw materials all played a part. 

PictureHow supply and demand affect the prices of things
So industrialists based employee wages on supply and demand.  Supply is the amount of something available.  Demand is the level that people want or need something.  They believed it was within their rights to hire and fire workers, set the working hours, and determine the working conditions just as they did with every other part of the business. 

The Workers' View
Workers had a very different view of the situation.  They recalled the words written in the Declaration of Independence.
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July 4, 1776 is the day the United States declared its independence from Great Britain.

​"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, 

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, 
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
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Workers felt that they were not a commodity.  They were different from the factories, machines, and raw materials because they were human.  They were different because the Declaration of Independence had proclaimed it so!  They felt that the way they were being treated was wrong and unjust.  They wanted a say in their working conditions, their hours, and their wages and they felt that it was the government's job to protect their rights. 

GROUPS FOR CHANGE

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It was inevitable that workers and those who felt sorry for workers would try to find a way to improve their working conditions.  Several types of groups formed with the goal of improving working conditions and the problems that resulted from these working conditions. 

Labor Unions
Some people joined labor unions.  If you will recall, labor unions were organizations that worked to gain better hours, wages, working conditions, benefits, and treatment for the workers who were members.
Progressives
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There were many people who did not work in industries but did not agree with the way industry workers were being treated.  They worked to bring awareness of the working conditions in industries to those who did not know.  They also campaigned for ways to improve working conditions.  These people were called Progressives.  ​Progressives not only fought to improve working conditions, they fought to improve social and political problems caused by industrialization and Big Business.

TACTICS FOR CHANGE

Labor unions and Progressives used different strategies in order to gain better working conditions for workers.  Most of these strategies were peaceful.  Some were a bit more aggressive.  A few groups even used violence.
Peaceful Tactics
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Most labor unions and Progressives used peaceful tactics to bring positive changes in working and social conditions.  Peaceful tactics involved ways of improving working conditions without harming businesses or hurting anyone.

PEACEFUL TACTICS USED BY LABOR UNIONS
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Many labor unions and progressives used rallies to make people aware of the problems for workers in industries.  A rally is when the members of a group or an organization gather people together in ​order to ​inform them and gain ​support for their cause.  

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Labor unions also used collective bargaining.  Collective bargaining is when labor unions meet with the managers or owners of industries and try to negotiate an agreement that both workers and owners can be happy with.

PEACEFUL TACTICS USED BY PROGRESSIVES
Progressives formed organizations that worked to help workers.  Some progressives opened settlement houses.  A settlement house is an establishment in the poor section of a big city that provides opportunities for the poor to gain an education; a place for the poor to go for recreation activities; and that offers social services to help assist the poor.
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Hull House was a Settlement House in Chicago started by Jane Addams to help immigrants and the urban poor.
Another group of progressives felt that businesses could still function, without much of a set back, without using child labor.  These Progressives worked in different ways for child labor reform.  Child labor reform was an effort to limit the amount of hours children could work and establish safe working conditions for child workers.  
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Many Progressives believed that child labor reform was not enough.  They wanted to end all child labor.  These Progressives worked to inform Americans that without an education, children would not be able to bring themselves out of poverty.  They formed organizations that strove to end child labor and begin compulsory education for all children under a certain age.  Compulsory education means that the law requires all children to get an education in a registered school for a set number of years.

Aggressive Tactics
PictureO No You Didn't!
Some labor unions believed that peaceful tactics did not work.  These groups believed in more aggressive tactics were needed to improve working and social conditions.  Aggressive tactics meant using forceful methods to accomplish a goal.  These tactics usually made managers and owners of industries angry. 

AGGRESSIVE TACTICS USED BY LABOR UNIONS
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Labor unions used several types of aggressive tactics to force managers and owners to improve working conditions.  One aggressive tactic that labor unions used was a strike.  A strike is when workers stop work in order to force an employer to improve working conditions, work hours, or wages.  Most strikes were not successful because they only made managers and owners angry.  It also led managers and owners to develop strategies of their own to put down strikes.

 TOOLBOX

The Toolbox contains all the definitions of bolded words in the order in which they appear.
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infrastructure:   the basic equipment and structures such as tunnels, roads, and bridges that are needed for a country or region to function properly

economy:  the way in which a nation uses its resources and how it makes and spends its money 

labor wars:  fights between labor unions seeking better treatment for workers and industrialists protecting their right to run their business

entrepreneurs:  businessmen who take financial risks to start a business
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capital:  money and resources that are put into a project or business in order to make more money
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industrial workforce: all the people who work in industries

world power:  a country that is powerful enough to affect the entire world by its influence or actions

efficient:  producing what you want without wasting materials, time, or energy

commodity:  a part of doing business, or something of use that can be bought or sold
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supply:  the amount of something available

demand: the level that people want or need something.

Declaration of Independence:  the statement written by Thomas Jefferson that declared the freedom of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain on July 4, 1776

unjust:  something that is not right or unfair
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rights:  the things that all members of a group, organization, or government are promised for being a member  

​inevitable:  something that certain to happen
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labor unions: organizations that worked to gain better hours, wages, working conditions, benefits, and treatment for the workers who were members

campaigned:  worked in an organized and active way to reach a goal

​Progressives:  people who worked to improve or change political and social problems

peaceful tactics:  ways of improving working conditions without harming businesses or hurting anyone

rally:  when the members of a group or an organization gather people together in ​order to ​inform them and gain ​support for their cause.

collective bargaining:  when labor unions meet with the managers or owners of industries and try to negotiate an agreement that both workers and owners can be happy with.

settlement house:  an establishment in the poor section of a big city that provides opportunities for the poor to gain an education; a place for the poor to go for recreation activities; and that offers social services to help assist the poor

child labor reform: an effort to limit the amount of hours children could work and establish safe working conditions for child workers

compulsory education:  a law that requires all children to get an education in a registered school for a set number of years

aggressive tactics: using forceful methods to accomplish a goal
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​strike:  when workers stop work in order to force an employer to improve working conditions, work hours, or wages

walkout:  a form of strike where workers walk off of their job to show they do not approve an employer's actions

boycott: when labor unions convinced people to stop buying or using the products of a certain company so the company would give in to labor unions demands to avoid losing money

intimidation:  making a person or group of people afraid
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picketing: when workers in a union stand outside of a factory or business to scare away customers and anyone looking for a job

closed shop: when a union of skilled workers bullies an employer into hiring only members of their union

union intimidation:  when labor unions bullied and threatened non-union workers in an effort to get them to join the union

Muckrakers:  the first investigative reporters who published newspaper articles and magazines that exposed the corruption and cruelty of industrialists and government leaders 
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politics:  the activities, actions, and policies that are used to gain and hold power in a government or to influence a government

lobbied:  when a person or group of people work together to influence government decisions for an issue or cause

political office:  any government job in which a person is elected

The National Consumers League:  an organization that used boycotting to improve working conditions for working-class women

The Women's Trade Union League:   a partnership between upper and middle class women and working class women that crossed class barriers to accomplish the goal of better treatment of women in the workforce
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violent tactics:  methods used that caused destruction, injury or death either in the process of attaining a goal or as a means to accomplish a goal

sabotage: when a worker would purposely damage or destroy machinery in order to stop production in a factory

rioting:  when a group of people participates in violent, public disorder, such as fighting, breaking other people's property, robbing stores, and running wild, as a form of protest

reform: to improve, correct, or fix something for the better

benefits:  gifts from an employer to an employee, in addition to wages, for working, such as health insurance, life insurance, paid sick leave, vacation time, or a retirement plan

compensation:  a system where an employer must pay the lost wages and medical expenses of an employee who is injured on the job

business owners:  the entrepreneurs who took risks to start a business, worked to build the business, suffered losses when the business did poorly, and enjoyed profits when the business was successful

business managers:  people hired by business owners to run a section of a company,  run a part of the company located in a different area,  or to run the company in their absence

consortium:  a group of businesses, investors, financial institutions, and politicians who work together to grow and expand businesses

opposed:  to be against something

financial institutions:  places that handled businesses' money, provided loans, managed trusts, and organized investments, including banks, trust companies, and investment dealers

unethical:  an action that may not be illegal but is not considered right, nice, or fair
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politicians:  someone who seeks or serves in a political office

inventory:  a stockpile of finished goods that are ready to be sold

lockout:  a reverse strike where the owner tells the employees that they must agree to a pay cut or be fired

yellow-dog contract: a legal contract where a new worker had to sign a document pledging that they would not join a union
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blacklist: a list of workers that a business owner believed to be in a union that kept anyone on the list from getting another job in the same city

scab:  a temporary worker hired by a business, who crossed a strikers' picket line, to go to work in place of the strikers

The Pinkerton Detective Agency:  one of the first private detective agencies in the United States that were hired by businesses to capture bank robbers, counterfeiters, and forgers; to stop and break up strikes, pickets, and rallies; and to act as spies in labor unions
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federal troops:  soldiers in the United States army 

conflict:  tension, a disagreement, an argument, or war that lasts a long time

Progressive Era:  a period of reform that resulted because of the business, political, and social corruption of the Gilded Age

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Sometimes workers would stage a walkout.  A walkout was a form of strike where workers walk off of their job to show they do not approve an employer's actions.  These types of strikes were a bit more effective but usually only produced short term benefits.  A walkout caused production to stop immediately and caused the owner of the industry to lose money.  This did prompt owners to give into some of the unions demands.  Unfortunately, when production started again and the owners began making money again, he either went back on the agreement or fired the members of the union that walked out.

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Another aggressive tactic labor unions used was a boycott.   A boycott was when labor unions convinced people to stop buying or using the products of a certain company so the company would give in to labor unions demands to avoid losing money.  Boycotts were successful in small communities but most of the time labor unions could not gather enough support for an effective boycott in large cities.

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​The most aggressive tactic that labor unions used was intimidation.  This tactic earned labor unions a bad reputation not only with managers and owners but with many workers and progressives as well.  Intimidation tactics took many forms.  

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One form of intimation used by labor unions was called picketing.  Picketing is when workers in a union stand outside of a factory or business to scare away customers and anyone looking for a job.  These weren't usually effective because it was difficult to gather enough workers who would be willing to participate.  Many were afraid if they did, they would lose their jobs.  Also, there were too many people looking for industrial jobs.  If a person left their job, there was always someone else who needed it despite the poor working conditions.

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Intimidation tactics worked a little better for skilled workers or people who worked in a trade.  One form of intimidation with skilled workers that proved to be successful was a closed shop.  A closed shop is when a union of skilled workers bullies an employer into hiring only members of their union.  This was effective with trade jobs because a worker had to have special training or experience to do the job.  If a manager or owner needed to hire a skilled worker, it was difficult to find workers who were not members of a union.  Many were forced to agree to a closed shop in order to run their business.

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​The form of intimidation that gave labor unions a bad name was called union intimidation.  Union intimidation is when labor unions bullied and threatened non-union workers in an effort to get them to join the union.  Some unions felt they had to use union intimidation because the only real advantage they had in gaining better working conditions was their numbers. 

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Non-union workers were a threat to labor unions' efforts to gain better working conditions.  Non-union members did not want to participate in strikes, walkouts, or pickets.   They were afraid of losing their jobs.  Labor unions intimidated them to join because union strikes, walkouts, and pickets would not work unless production stopped and the managers and owners lost money.  If the managers and owners still had people working for them, production would continue and union efforts would be in vain.

AGGRESSIVE TACTICS USED BY PROGRESSIVES
PictureWhat do you think, "The pen is mightier than the sword" means?

​The Progressives also used peaceful tactics to improve working and social conditions.  One group of Progressives who made a big impact were the Muckrakers.  Muckrakers were journalists who published newspaper articles and magazines that exposed the corruption and cruelty of industrialists and government leaders.  Muckrakers were the first investigative reporters.

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Another group of Progressives used politics to gain better working and social conditions.  Politics are the activities, actions, policies that are used to gain and hold power in a government or to influence a government.  Some Progressives lobbied to have laws passed.  Others actually ran for political offices so that they could implement and oversee changes themselves. 

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Many middle class women formed organizations during this time that worked to bring social change.  Some of these groups were willing to use aggressive measures to improve working conditions in industries.  The National Consumers League was an organization that used boycotting to improve working conditions for working-class women.

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Another women's group was The Women's Trade Union League.  This group was a partnership between upper and middle class women and working class women.  The organization was one of the first of its kind.  It crossed class barriers to accomplish one goal, better treatment of women in the workforce.  The working - class women ran the league and the middle and upper class women donated money, paid for lawyers to represent the workers, informed the press, and participated in picket lines with the workers.

Violent Tactics
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​A few labor unions and Progressives used violent tactics.  Violent tactics were methods used that caused destruction, injury or death either in the process of attaining a goal or as a means to accomplish a goal.  Violent tactics tended to be more of a demonstration of anger about working conditions more than an actual attempt to gain better treatment.

VIOLENT TACTICS USED BY LABOR UNIONS
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A few labor unions used violent tactics on purpose to force managers and owners to improve working conditions.  These tactics were illegal.  One of these purposeful and illegal tactics was sabotage.  Sabotage was when a worker would purposely damage or destroy machinery in order to stop production in a factory.   Some sabotage was obvious in that the machinery was so damaged, a person could tell on sight that it was sabotage.  Other sabotage was not obvious.  A worker would deliberately do something to make the machine malfunction.  Many times, people were hurt when the machines malfunctioned from sabotage.  

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Another violent tactic used was rioting.  Rioting is when a group of people participates in violent, public disorder, such as fighting, breaking other people's property, robbing stores, and running wild, as a form of protest.  Most of the time riots were not a planned event.  Rioting usually occurred when police or hired security teams tried to stop or interfere with a rally, strike, picket or other demonstration.

PROGRESSIVES VIEW OF VIOLENT TACTICS
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Most Progressives did not approve of violent tactics to reform working and social conditions.  Progressives were educated people in the middle and upper class.  Their goal was to improve people's lives.  They did not want to hurt or injure others.  Progressives used education and our system of government to achieve reform.  Reform means to improve, correct, or fix something for the better.

GROUPS AGAINST CHANGE

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Labor reform was not only a big deal to the workers, it was a big deal to those who owned or managed businesses as well.  Doing away with child labor, paying workers higher wages, cutting back on worker hours, making the workplace safe, providing benefits, time off, and compensation all cost businesses a great deal of money.  These types of reforms could cause small businesses to go into bankruptcy and cause a big drop in big businesses profits.  

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Three major groups that opposed labor reform were the business owners, business managers, and consortiums.  Business owners were the entrepreneurs who took risks to start a business, worked to build the business, suffered losses when the business did poorly, and enjoyed profits when the business was successful.  Some business owners owned huge corporations and others owned small businesses.  Business managers were people hired by business owners to run a section of a company,  run a part of the company located in a different area,  or to run the company in their absence.   A consortium is a group of businesses, investors, financial institutions, and politicians who work together to grow and expand businesses. 

BUSINESSES FIGHT BACK

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Business owners, business managers, and business consortiums had tactics of their own to fight back against labor unions and Progressives.  The groups who opposed labor reform also used peaceful, aggressive, and violent tactics to stop labor unions so they could keep making a profit.  Most of the time, opponents of labor reform only used tactics when they were reacting to a tactic first used by labor unions and Progressives.

Peaceful Tactics
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Sometimes business owners and managers were willing to sit down for collective bargaining.  As discussed before, collective bargaining was when labor unions met with the managers or owners of industries to try to negotiate an agreement that both workers and owners can be happy with.

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One group in the business consortium that helped in peaceful ways was financial institutions.  Financial institutions were places that handled businesses' money, provided loans, managed trusts, and organized investments.  Financial institutions include places such as banks, trust companies, and investment dealers.  Financial institutions helped businesses by helping them reorganize their budgets and lending them money so the could afford labor reforms.

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​Another group that helped in peaceful, but perhaps unethical ways were politicians.  Politicians and businesses worked together to help each other.  Businessmen funded political campaigns and used their influence to get politicians elected.  In return, politicians made sure that labor reform bills did not pass for businessmen.

Aggressive Tactics
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Sometimes companies over produce so that they can have an inventory.  An inventory is a stockpile of finished goods that are ready to be sold.  If a company had an inventory, then they could use a lockout to respond to labor reform efforts.  A lockout is a reverse strike where the owner tells the employees that they must agree to a pay cut or be fired.

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​Another aggressive tactic that businessmen used were yellow-dog contracts.  A yellow-dog contract was a legal contract where a new worker had to sign a document pledging that they would not join a union.  If the new employee did join a union, then the employer could fire the worker or take him to court for violating the agreement.

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​Yet another unethical tactic used by business owners were blacklists.   A blacklist was a list of workers that a business owner believed to be in a union.  Business owners would share these lists with other business owners.  If an employee on a blacklist was fired, he or she would not be able to find work in the city because business owners would not hire any workers who's name was on a blacklist.

Violent Tactics
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Businessmen also used tactics that turned violent.  One tactic they used was to hire scabs.  A scab was a temporary worker hired by a business, who crossed a strikers' picket line, to go to work in place of the strikers.  Businessmen knew this could possibly turn violent.  Picketers became angry at scabs for agreeing to work for businessmen and potentially harming their efforts.  Often the picketers would harass and threaten scabs until they finally left.  If the scabs continued to pass the picket line, picketers would often attack them and beat them.  Sometimes scabs suffered severe injuries and a few even died.  Businessmen were trying to keep their businesses going despite a picket line, but incidents where picketers attacked scabs made labor unions look badly.  So, often hiring scabs was also an attempt to turn the public against labor unions.

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Business managers felt a lot of pressure running industries for business owners.  They knew that their livelihood depended on doing a good job.  Sometimes when a strike or picket would break out, business managers would hire Pinkerton Detectives.  Pinkerton Detectives worked for Allan Pinkerton and his Pinkerton Detective Agency.   The Pinkerton Detective Agency was one of the first private detective agencies in the United States.  The detectives that worked for the agency played an major role in law enforcement in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Pinkerton agents were hired by businesses to capture bank robbers, counterfeiters, and forgers; to stop and break up strikes, pickets, and rallies; and to act as spies in labor unions. 

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Recall the politicians who were part of the business consortium.   The politicians who held offices in congress were able to pass laws that made strikes illegal.  When labor unions held strikes, business owners had strikers arrested.  Sometimes this did not stop strikers.  They would simply get out of jail and strike again.  When this happened, state or federal troops would be sent to permanently break up the strike.

THE LABOR WARS

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​The Labor Wars were fights between labor unions seeking better treatment for workers and industrialists protecting their right to run their business.  Both sides had supporters and both sides developed strategies in order to get what they wanted.  Many events resulted from the conflict between workers and industrialists and many people became leaders in the struggle to win.  You will learn about these people and events in Challenges 2 and 3.  The changes that came about in the way workers were treated led others who felt they were being treated unfairly to fight.  Out of the fight to right the wrongs of the Gilded Age came a new era.  The new era was called the Progressive Era.


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CHALLENGE 4

CHALLENGE 4 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 4 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 4 Target header.
I can write a summary paragraph on a nonfiction text about the Labor Wars of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
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CHALLENGE 4 DIRECTIONS:
Now we will practice summarizing a nonfiction text by doing a "Clozed Summary".  A Clozed Summary is a summary paragraph where key words have been removed.  Your job is to determine which words from the word bank best fill in the blanks to complete the summary.
  • Write your name and date at the top of your Lesson 4 Challenge 4 Chronicles.  
  • Write the Challenge 4 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 4 Target header.
  • In your small groups read the summary paragraph in your lesson chronicles.  Fill in the missing key words to complete the summary.
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CHALLENGE 5

CHALLENGE 5 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 5 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 5 Target header.
I can compare and contrast the major Labor Unions and Labor Reformers of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.
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CHALLENGE 5 DIRECTIONS:
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CHALLENGE 6

CHALLENGE 6 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 6 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 6 Target header.
I can identify the important details of major events in the Labor Wars of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era.
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CHALLENGE 6 DIRECTIONS:
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CHALLENGE 7:  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

CHALLENGE 7 TARGET:
Write the Challenge 7 Target in your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 7 Target header.
I can describe the labor wars of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era including who was involved; the major issues and events, and the impact they had on America.
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CHALLENGE 7 DIRECTIONS:
Did you accomplish the Lesson Mission?  Let's see if you can apply the information you have gathered to answer questions about the industrial workforce of the Gilded Age.  
  • ​Click on the Mission Check icon below to complete the Mission Check Activity.
  • Click submit when you have completed it.  I will read these aloud to some classes.
  • I will print out your certificate and return it to you tomorrow.
  • When you receive it, glue it into your Lesson Chronicles under the Challenge 7 Mission Accomplished Page.
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Click Here to Begin the Mission Check Activity!

HOMEWORK

FAMILY DISCUSSION TIME
Remember, you have homework in Social Studies every night.  Your homework is to tell your family what you learned in class today.  This is an excellent way to keep a good line of communication open with your parents and it is a great way to make sure you are studying a little every night.  

REMEMBER TO START STUDYING YOUR CHRONICLES FOR YOUR UNIT 1 - THE GILDED AGE TEST AT THE END OF THIS LESSON.  


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THIS IS THE END OF THIS LESSON MODULE

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Congratulations!  
You have completed the Unit 1 Lesson 4 Module!

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