Labor Union Movement In America

12 Pages 2893 Words

e of water power to operate machinery were developing a trend toward a factory system not much different from that in England which produced misery and slums for decades. Starting in the 1830s and accelerating rapidly during the Civil War, the factory system accounted for an ever-growing share of American production. It also produced great wealth for a few, grinding poverty for many. AS skilled trades become mecahnized, cheap and available labor greatly reduced wage rates.


In the Northeast, textile mills opened, and unskilled laborers were employed in large numbers. Women were often hired to work in these mills. The eleven to thirteen and a half hour work days were exhausting. Immigrant women from Ireland and Germany were hired in large numbers in these mills.
Immigrant labor rose between 1846 and 1855. Workers that had been protected by wage agreements were faced with competition from immigrants that were willing to work for much less.

The monopolies and their employment practices encouraged unionization. With workers recogniz...