Presentation Transcript

1. Illinois History Unit 7

   Labor-Management Violence The Pullman Strike Eagle that is Forgotten River that Flows Backwards Riots
2. LABOR-MANAGEMENT VIOLENCE
3. Industrial Growth Number of wage earning laborers increased dramatically after the Civil War Employers believed that all decisions concerning wages, working hours, and working conditions belonged to management
4. Labor Unions Early unions in Illinois date back to construction of the Illinois Canal Immigrant workers from Germany introduced labor unions
5. A number of labor and trade unions formed in 1850’s and 1860’s Strikes were virtually prohibited by law in 1863
6. Strikes and Riots 1877 – railroad workers staged strikes for higher wages Strikers attacked RR’s and shut down mines Ill. Governor asked for federal troops to interfere to protect private property Labor violence subsided
7. During the next few years, strikes were ended by intervention by the government 1886 – strikes were called to reduce working hours
8. A split developed among labor between native-born and immigrant laborers Immigrant laborers tended to be more radical and anarchistic
9. 1886 – strike called at McCormick Works in Chicago Management called in strikebreakers 2 workers killed in fight w/ strikebreakers
10. Anarchist leaders call for meeting in Haymarket Square to protest 2-3 thousand attended When meeting was almost over, w/ only about 300 still there, police moved in Someone in the crowd, threw a bomb, killing 7 police, wounding 67
11. Public turned against labor Newspapers sensationalized event, depicting anarchist and labor as a threat 8 anarchists arrested and tried Never proved that they threw the bomb or were even at the event
12. Haymarket Riot
13. 7 condemned to death; 1 to 15 yrs. in prison 4 were hanged, 1 committed suicide (with stick of dynamite) Death sentence commuted on other 2; later pardoned
14. The Pullman Strike George Pullman was the inventor of the Pullman sleeping car Pullman video
15. Built a model town for his workers south of Chicago Pullman owned the town and managed it Rented homes to employees at higher than usual rates
16. In the depression that began in 1893, Pullman cut his workers pay by 25% refused to reduce the rents or the utilities in his Pullman village where his workers lived
17. workers could not pay for the housing and still afford the other necessities of life Many workers belonged to the American Railway Union Union ordered members not to handle trains with Pullman cars Those who refused were fired by railroads
18. Railroad workers across the country went on strike and paralyzed transportation
19. Railroad managers went over the head of Illinois governor and asked for federal troops to be sent in
20. Union leader Eugene Debs defied federal injunction; imprisoned Strike collapsed Workers across country became bitter
21. Outcome Workers believed government was on the side of big business Labor still weak small number of American workers were organized public feared labor violence
22. Eagle That Is Forgotten
23. John Peter Altgeld Emigrated from Germany as a child Studied law in Missouri
24. Became sympathetic to the plight of grangers Moved to Chicago in 1875 Built a successful law and real estate career Became sympathetic to the plight of labor
25. Became a Cook County judge, then ran for governor in 1892 Became 1st foreign born and 1st Chicago resident to become governor
26. On reviewing the records of the Haymarket defendants case, Altgeld became convinced that the defendants had not been proven guilty
27. Granted pardons to remaining defendants Criticized by most newspapers and accused of being an anarchist
28. Initiated Reforms: Better police courts for Chicago Raising taxes on corporations and inheritances
29. Strong factory inspection legislation Limitations of child labor and the employment of women
30. Pullman Strike Altgeld sent state militia to keep order at several places Altgeld did not allow the militia to be used as strikebreakers or to use violence on the strikers
31. Federal government sent troops in without a request from Altgeld Altgeld protested but was ignored Became enemy of President’s party lost reelection in 1896
32. Legacy of Altgeld pardoning the Haymarket prisoners opposition to federal intervention in the Pullman strike Became hero for progressive reformers

33. The River That Flows Backwards

    The Chicago Sanitary Canal
34. Health Hazard Increasing amounts of human and industrial wastes from the rapidly growing city of Chicago were being dumped into the Chicago river,which flowed into Lake Michigan, eventually causing a health hazard.
35. People were plagued by typhoid fever, cholera and dysentery. in 1854, over 5 % of the population died of cholera
36. Waste was dumped into Lake Michigan, but the waste came back toward the city Lake Michigan was the city’s water supply Pipes were extended out into the Lake to provide fresh water During rainy season the water was contaminated
37. Water Tunnels A tunnel was proposed in 1863 to be built 2 miles out into the Lake to provide fresh water
38. Tunnel was 5 ft. wide lined with bricks 2 miners and 1 bricklayer could work in the tunnel at one time Tunnel was built from both ends
39. Mules were used to remove clay and bring materials into the tunnel Tunnel was completed in 1867
40. Although the water quality improved, by the 1880’s the sewage problems worsened In 1885 Cholera and Typhoid killed about 12% of the city’s population Public criticism led leaders to come up with a new solution
41. Solving the Problem In order to carry the wastes away from Chicago, a 28 mile canal was to be dug linking the Chicago river and the Des Plaines river.
42. The water from the Chicago River would then flow into the Des Plaines River and on down the Illinois waterway to the Mississippi.
43. New construction techniques and new machines were used Channeling machines were used to dig out the sides and bottom of the canal Cantilever hoists were used remove the rock
44. Objections Cities on the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence River were afraid that taking water from Lake Michigan would lower the water levels in the entire Great Lakes system
45. They felt it would have a bad effect on shipping and the depth of water in harbors. Communities downstream complained, but Canal was opened anyway
46. At a series of conferences the natural decline in water levels was blamed on natural causes rather than the Sanitary Canal Chicago was given permission to continue taking water from Lake Michigan.
47. Springfield Race Riot
48. Springfield Race Riot 1908- Springfield had doubled in size since Civil War Many immigrants and imported southern blacks were competing for factory and coal mining jobs Competition for jobs caused conflicts between groups
49. On night of July 4, a white man (Clergy Ballard) was killed by a black man, (Joe James) who had attacked his daughter Beaten by mob, rescued and put in jail In August, a woman (Mabel Hallman) accused a black man of rape George Richardson was arrested and put in jail
50. mob formed outside the jail where James and Richardson were being held Sheriff had prisoners put on train and sent them to Bloomington When the mob learned that the prisoners were moved, they were enraged The local authorities were overwhelmed The governor activated the state militia
51. Over the next two days, mobs destroyed the black commercial area, known as the Levee, and set fire to homes in the black residential section, called the Badlands 1st victim was a barber, shot defending his business William Donegan, an elderly black businessman, was dragged from his home and lynched in a schoolyard About 5,000 militia arrived at the State Armory, fired into crowd to disperse
52. By end of rioting, 2 blacks, 4 whites killed, 70 injured Mabel Hallman admitted to making up rape story; left town Joe James convicted, George Richardson released As a result of the riot, the NAACP was formed the following year to work for racial equality
53. Chicago Race Riot
54. A great migration of southern blacks to Chicago occurred in 1918 Blacks came responding to reports of available jobs in the packing plants and factories The black population increased 148% from 1916 – 1918 (WWI)
55. Created a changing demographic in the city and in its wards New black neighborhoods were created, shifting existing ethnic neighborhoods Created a racially charged atmosphere July 1919 – a young black encroached on swimming area marked off for whites Was stoned by whites until he drowned
56. Police ignored eyewitness reports and refused to make any arrests Crowds of angry blacks gathered to protest
57. For the next 2 weeks, armed gangs roamed the streets, looking for someone to attack People were dragged off streetcars and beaten
58. Snipers fired from windows, and white gangs shot at blacks from their automobiles The state militia was called in to restore order Over 6,000 militia responded 23 blacks and 15 whites were killed Over 500 injured Hundreds of buildings torched by rioters 1000 left homeless
59. East St. Louis Race Riot
60. 1917 – touched off by fear of white working men by Negro advances in economic, political and social status When the labor force of an aluminum plant went on strike in April, the company hired Negro workers the union blamed the defeat of the strike on the black strikebreakers A riot followed, during which mobs demolished buildings Blacks were attacked and beaten
61. On July 1, some whites in a Ford drove through the main Negro district, shooting into homes When a police car, also a Ford, drove down the street to investigate, the Blacks fired on it, killing two policemen The next day, as reports of the shooting spread, a new riot began Streetcars were stopped, Blacks were pulled off, stoned, clubbed, kicked and shot was in flames and blacks were fleeing the city
62. official casualty figures were nine whites and thirty-nine Blacks dead NAACP investigators estimated that between one hundred to two hundred Blacks were killed Over three hundred buildings were destroyed Police and state militia in many instances did nothing to stop rioters from committing violence upon the blacks
63. In the aftermath, 12 blacks were convicted of homicide of the 2 policemen 9 white men were convicted of homicide 29 others were charged with misdemeanors