2. Working Conditions American Industry 1870-1900

3. Primary Sources • What is a primary source?

4. Work Conditions • In 1895, the average incomeof an urban male worker was only about $400 a year, a sum insufficient to support a family. The labor of their wives and children helped to supplement the household income. Children under the age of 16 contributed about 20 percent of the income. These children worked not because their parents were heartless, but because their earnings were absolutely essential for their family's well-being.

5. Photographs • Please complete your charts using the photographs posted around the classroom • There are FIVE in total • Be thorough in your responses and provide detailed conclusions

6. Photographs • Is safety equipment visible? • Is the worker working in isolation or not? • Is there protective equipment around the machinery? • Is the worker old or young?

8. “Coal Miners”

9. “Breaker Boys

10. “Weavers”

11. “Seafood Processor”

12. “Steel Mill Workers”