6.7 Labor in the Gilded Age

Industrial workers face harsh conditions

Rapid industrialization created low wages, long hours (10-12+ hrs/day), and dangerous conditions in factories and mines. Workers included immigrants, women, and children, who were often paid less. Economic depressions (like the Panic of 1873 and 1893) worsened conditions, fueling worker discontent and pushing many to organize collectively for better treatment.

Labor unions organize for change

The Knights of Labor welcomed skilled and unskilled workers, women, and African Americans, pushing broad social reforms. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), led by Samuel Gompers, focused narrowly on skilled workers and 'bread-and-butter' issues like wages and hours. Both used strikes, but faced public backlash after violent incidents, weakening membership over time.

Strikes turn violent, revealing tensions

Major strikes exposed conflict between labor and capital. The Great Railroad Strike (1877), Haymarket Affair (1886), Homestead Strike (1892), and Pullman Strike (1894) often ended in violence and federal/state intervention favoring business owners. These events linked unions to radicalism in public opinion and showed the limits of labor power against corporate and government alliances.

Key terms

Knights of Labor

Inclusive labor union welcoming skilled/unskilled workers, women, and African Americans; pushed broad social reforms; declined after Haymarket Affair.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Led by Samuel Gompers; focused on skilled workers and practical 'bread-and-butter' issues like wages and hours.

Haymarket Affair (1886)

A bombing at a Chicago labor rally killed police officers; linked unions to anarchism and radicalism in public opinion.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Violent strike at Carnegie's steel plant; Pinkerton agents clashed with workers, ending in defeat for the union.

Pullman Strike (1894)

Nationwide railroad boycott sparked by wage cuts in Pullman's company town; ended when federal troops intervened.

Try an AP-style question

The Knights of Labor welcomed…

1. only skilled white men in craft trades
2. only the owners of factories and mills
3. skilled and unskilled workers, including women
4. only farmers and agricultural workers