Fruitless Unions from 1875 - 1900 Essay Example for Free

Fruitless Unions from 1875 1900 Essay Late 19th century America was a time of both industrial prosperity and poverty among workers. It was run by grasping corporations and proprietors. Workers found themselves alone, amidst the rest of the nation, merely individuals under the control of the lavish Rockefellers and Carnegies. Entire families found themselves working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week in unsanitary conditions just to have enough money to pay for simple necessities like food and rent. The issue of lowering working hours, increasing wages, and humanizing working conditions quickly became indispensable. While organized labor groups such as the National Labor Union, The Knights of Labor, and the American Federation of Labor all strived to resolve these issues, victories were seldom. The crusade towards organized labor from 1875-1900 was unsuccessful in improving the position of workers vastly because of the initial failure of strikes, the grueling feelings of superiority of employers over employees and the lack of support from the government. Beginning in the 1860’s, labor unions began to sprout in hopes of making reforms by unifying workers to fight for higher wages, and 8 hour work day, and various other social benefits. The National Labor Union (1866) was the first assembly established to take part in this fight. Strikes would have to be effective in order to initiate any major changes but at a time like this, more harm was being done than good. In 1877, many workers participated in the first great American strike which resulted in mass violence and little reforms. Afterwards, an editorial in the New York Times stated that â€Å"the strike is apparently hopeless, and must be regarded as nothing more than a rash and spiteful demonstration of resentment by men too ignorant or too reckless to understand their own interests†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document B) This editorial, which clearly favored labor unions, was acknowledging that nothing would be achieved through fighting and violence. Their failures so early on should have given them the signal to cease and, but year after year, strikes were arising and little was being down in the workers favors. Their failures would surely set the stage for future unions to come. In 1892, workers at the Homestead Steel Plant near Pittsburgh walked out on strike and took the lives of at least two Pinkerton detectives and one civilian (Document G). The violent acts at Homestead not only failed to gain rights but since non-strikers were killed it led people to think of laborers in a negative light. With the conditions only worsening after each and every strike, it was clear that organized strikes were not the way to improve conditions for workers. The industrial era gave more power to employers than ever before. With the introduction of the Scientific Management method designed by Frederick Taylor, autonomy among workers was even less common. By means of Scientific Management, there was no longer a need for workers of one particular trade, now; workers would only know how to make one particular part of a whole. The fact that many employees had to band together to face one employer displayed a great deal of inferiority. In 1883, in a testimony before the Senate Committee on Labor and Capital, a machinist said that 100 men are able to do now what it took 300 or 400 men to do fifteen years ago in trying to explain his insignificance to the company he worked for (Document D). Thus, workers felt even more inferior because it took fewer workers to make products; fewer workers amounted to easier management by the employers. In addition to inferiority to the employers, workers would also put restrictions on themselves by giving in and signing things like the Western Union Telegraph Companys employee contract that forbid them from joining unions (Document E). These yellow-dog contracts simply dragged the workers further down into the ground. The ineffectiveness of unions was shown in that the unions that were formed werent strong enough to even overcome their own benefactors which in turn only put them at a lower level in the end. I. Another main contributor to the ineffectiveness of labor unions was the lack of support from the government. With the involvement of the federal government, labor unions could have been much more successful in churning out better conditions for workers.

Three Eras, Three Novels Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shelly, Well, Hu

Progress is a distinctive venture of man. The constant need to predict and control, instrumented by science and technology, has led to astonishing possibilities for which the long term consequences are unpredictable. There is, however, no ultimate goal of progress; and as limits continue to be broken, the boundaries of human interference in nature are expanding indefinitely. Everywhere, there is a sense of the unconquerable forces unwittingly evoked to serve the project of progress, bringing the project itself into question. This idea has produced three novels that suggest the improvidence of man's quest for authority from natural law; they are: Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, H.G. Well's The Time Machine, and Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. The purpose of progress is to attain greater control over the environment, allowing man a sense of certainty and security. With more and more conveniences and enlightenments given by science and technology, man hopes to reign in the natural forces that affect him. Aldous Huxley imagines the state of these ideals several centuries into the future: A society in which everything is contained and regulated, down to free will itself. The very motto of the state is "community, identity, stability" (1). Their Science has advanced on our current remedies insofar that humans fall into a mental state or condition in which the varieties of expression and behavior of that individual become restricted; total human inhibition. The idea of a one world government seems ridiculous, because humans over the course of history have rejected such totalitarian governments over and over in the past. In Huxley's world, however, the people have completely submitted to the order. The people of this ad... ...kind meddles in nature's affairs to create a world of his own design, the effects of his actions are monumental. Man would do better to understand his place as a species with no control, and without the ability to predict or to understand the effects of experimentation on the natural world. No matter the era, man’s push towards progression happens on a daily basis. Whether it be not asking for directions and failed attempts to find a location, spending hours on craigslist for parts to their â€Å"projects†, or creating machines, even creating humans to better prove progression—man will not stop. These novels throughout the centuries have become clear methods of the wrong doings that led from excessive progression, but no matter the date man will continue to look for answers but with the help of Wells, Shelley and Huxley, perhaps they won’t overstep their boundaries.

International Trade and Finance Speech Essay

Introduction Today I would like to discuss, with you, the current state of the U.S. macro economy. I will attempt to simply address concepts and terms which focus on international trade and foreign exchange rates. Much of the discussion will focus around the surplus of imports brought into the U.S., and the impact it has on the U.S. businesses and consumers involved. I will also describe the effects of the international trade to GDP, domestic markets, and university students. It is important to understand how the government’s choices, in regards to tariffs and quotas, affect international relations and trade; so I will describe the interactive relationship in regards to tariffs and quotas, and how the government’s choices affect international relations and trade. We will also understand how foreign exchange rates are determined, and identify the reasons the U.S. does not restrict goods from China and minimize imports from other countries. Imports in the U.S. The U.S. imports many goods from various countries around the globe; and the trading of these goods plays an important role in the stability of economic growth for the U.S. The U.S. imports goods or products from other countries such as China; and if the U.S. has a surplus of imports it means there is an increase in the trade deficit, which is not good for the U.S. because trade deficits usually increase unemployment. Examples of products with an import surplus in the U.S. are China’s auto-parts. The U.S. auto-parts industry is at risk of lost jobs because of the rapid growth of auto-parts imported from China. The Chinese government unfairly subsidizes and trades auto-parts to the U.S.; which in return jeopardizes jobs related to the auto-parts industry in the U.S. Exports from the U.S. support jobs, but imports supplant production which would otherwise support U.S. employment. The U.S. auto-parts trade deficit increased from $9.5 billion in the year 2000 to $31.2 billion in the year 2010. During the year 2010, China’s exports of auto-parts exceeded their imports of U.S. products by 725 percent. The impact of this discrepancy between the two countries forces consumers and businesses, in the U.S., to evaluate which products are worth buying. Many times China’s products are manufactured just as thoroughly as their counterparts in the U.S., and they are often much cheaper to purchase. In order to save money, many U.S. companies and consumers will purchase goods from China, and also establish businesses and create jobs in that country which would otherwise benefit domestic employment (â€Å"Economic Policy Institute†, 2012). GDP I would like to next address the effects of international trade to the GDP, domestic markets, and university students. International trade has become important to the U.S. economy in recent years, and the benefits of a global market improve the U.S. standard of living. The problem for the U.S. is the contraction of the GDP because of reduced exports and higher imports. The outflow of domestic currency to foreign markets can decrease the currency of the dollar, and make imports more expensive to purchase. If the currency of the dollar decreases, domestic markets will suffer because now goods cost more to purchase. Domestic markets can also be affected by international trade. If imports are cheaper than domestic company products, then domestic markets may suffer because the imports are cheaper to purchase. Many international students and public and private institutions also benefit from the effects of international trade. The revenues generated by international students are important because they usually pay out-of-state tuition, and the education sector usually benefits from a trade surplus (â€Å"Business Day†, 2013). Tariffs and Quotas The government’s choices, in regards to tariffs and quotas, usually have a big effect on international trade and relations. Many countries rely on net exports to maximize their productions companies. When quotas and tariffs are introduced to the global market, it can affect the flow of goods and products to consumer nations; and can negatively impact the production companies. Because it is usually beneficial for international companies to maximize production, tariffs and quotas can potentially strain international relations and trade. Exchange Rates I would like to next address foreign exchange rates and what determines them. Most of us are aware that currency has a value attached to it. The difference between the two country’s currency value, and the rate for what they will be exchanged for each other; is known as the foreign exchange rate. The exchange rates are determined in the foreign exchange market, which determines the local demand for foreign currencies (â€Å"Businessdictionary.com†, 2013). Goods in the U.S. The question is often asked, if China has restrictions on U.S. imports, then why does the U.S. not restrict goods coming in from China? To answer the question simply, Chinese imports are important to the U.S. because China has the fastest growing markets in the world. If the U.S. were to stop imports from China, then accordingly China would stop imports for the U.S., and we would not have access that important market. It is vital to have relationships with the global market, because those trade relationships keep the U.S. relevant in the global economy. Many economists agree if the U.S. were to stop trading with foreign countries, then the entire global economy would collapse, which would result in the entire globe going into a depression. Conclusion In conclusion I would like to state that I hope I have addressed all of you questions about the current state of the U.S. macro economy. It is important to understand the importance of all countries involved with foreign trade, and how their imports and our exports directly affect the U.S. economy and our jobs. While we would like to be independent from a lot of foreign goods, the idea of total independence from foreign trade is virtually impossible. As we discussed earlier, the reason is because of our trade deficits and their countries ability to invest in the U.S. References Economic Policy Institute. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.epi.org/publication/bp336-us-china-auto-parts-industry/ Businessdictionary.com. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/foreign-exchange-rate.html Business Day. (2013). Retrieved from http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/the-impact-of-foreign-trade-on-the-economy/

The U. S. Government