Despite being celebrated for its industrial achievements, the very foundation by which society was predicated on in the Gilded Age crumbled as labor unrest grew. This sense of discontent on the part of laborers is demonstrated through the Haymarket Affair of 1866. Among those tried for the crime was August Spies, who in his “Address of August Spies,” compromises his own life by persistently undermining the legitimacy of the State to emphasize the determination of the collective for which he views himself as a “representative.” In his attempt to illuminate the injustices of the State and foreshadow the unremitting turmoil that will emerge with his murder, Spies simultaneously showcases the divisions within society at the time. Consequently, because it is a product of its time period, the “Address of August Spies” can be used not only as a means of understanding the Haymarket Affair but the dynamics of society as a whole.
Delivered at his October 1886 trial, August Spies, ‘The Address of August Spies” is a primary source document. Spies recites the testimony in response to the accusations put forth against him as result of the Haymarket Affair. It is because Spies was both an active participant and observer in the labor struggle of the era that he is able to capture the tension of the period. In addition, because this account is given from the subjugated person himself, one may presume that it is an effective representation of the time. Nevertheless, these factors do not indicate that his speech is free of all bias. In fact, Spies’ defense is contingent upon highlighting the collective perspective of the laborers and does not address the views of capital. Thus, by presenting just one half of the convictions of the labor struggle, Sp...
... middle of paper ...
...ss to sacrifice his life for the advancement of the laborers illustrates how invested individuals were and how deeply they believed in their cause.
Through the quotations he deploys, imagery he enacts and authoritative tone he embodies, Spies very deliberately takes control of the Courtroom showcasing that no matter the circumstances the collective will prevail. Spies recognizes that the trial is his condemnation so subsequently he seizes the opportunity to condemn the State of their fate as a result of their injustices. Through his willingness to sacrifice his own life to propel his convictions Spies not only makes a statement to the Court but further strengthens the concept of class-consciousness within the masses. Furthermore, signifying that there indeed “will be a time when our [their] silence will be more powerful than the voices you [the State]strangle today.”
The late 19th century and early 20th century was the age of big businesses. It bore a class of entrepreneurs known as robber barons. These entrepreneurs carry a perception in the eyes of most historical commentators that they committed veiled larceny acts to enrich themselves to the detriment of the customers, often seeking the aid of politicians to support their crony capitalist endeavors. Such portrayal by the historians lives us with the picture of greedy and exploitative capitalists. However, there are cases where this ‘robber baron’ string of entrepreneurs did indeed exploit their customers financial gain. Jay Cooke, famously known as the ‘financier of the Civil War’, was an example of this string of entrepreneurs and their reaches within the United States government.
Nineteenth century industrialism presented the United States with a unique and unprecedented set of problems, as illustrated through the works of Rebecca Harding Davis and Horatio Alger Jr. Although both authors felt compelled to address these problems in their writing, Rebecca Harding Davis’s grasp on the realities faced by the working poor and women was clearly stronger than Alger’s. Not only did Alger possess a naïve view on exactly how much control an individual has over their own circumstances, but he failed to address the struggles of women entirely. As a result, Alger conceived a rather romantic world where the old-fashioned American ideals of hard work, determination, and self-sacrifice enable a young boy to lift himself from poverty.
As Atticus is wrapping up his speech, he addresses the courtroom about court. “‘A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men that make it up’” (Lee 274), is an appeal to logos because a court is only fair if the people of the jury are fair. Singling out the jury puts more pressure on them to make the transparent decision that Tom Robinson is not
Accurately established by many historians, the capitalists who shaped post-Civil War industrial America were regarded as corrupt “robber barons”. In a society in which there was a severe imbalance in the dynamics of the economy, these selfish individuals viewed this as an opportunity to advance in their financial status. Thus, they acquired fortunes for themselves while purposely overseeing the struggles of the people around them. Presented in Document A, “as liveried carriage appear; so do barefooted children”, proved to be a true description of life during the 19th century. In hopes of rebuilding America, the capitalists’ hunger for wealth only widened the gap between the rich and poor.
Horsmanden’s journal provides a wealth of information about eighteenth century New York if one is willing to analyze it critically and ignore the bias present in it. If one does this they catch fascinating glimpses of a divided world, one where people are partitioned by race, economic status, homeland and religion. A world filled with fear and suspicion caused by the tension inherent within such societal division. The same tensions that either gave rise to a massive conspiracy to destroy the town of New York or gave credence to a nightmare constructed by the minds of the people and fed by individuals’ self-serving nature. Regardless, eighteenth century New York was a troubled place and Horsmanden’s Journal of the Proceedings gives us a partial but valuable insight to the lives and interactions of colonial New York’s peoples.
...ing a union at that time was huge. How the Pullman Porters maintained strong for their cause and for the future generation is honorable. I think that their strength in unity for their rights is an example for me to follow my own convictions as well. Their color was a huge obstacle for union forming but they were able to demonstrate that they could provide excellent work just as well as any other race. It was hard for these workers to be heard because they were black. I realize that it is hard for me as a woman to advance in the corporate ladder but the Pullman Porters advanced to form a union and without any laws that now days we woman have; so this is something I can look back to. The fact that their leader A. Philip Randolph could not be bribed with a blank check should enforce all of us students the standard of always being honest and just in our decisions.
In response to intervention, thousands of groups of people became defiant. Laborers living off the bare minimum often assembled into organized groups to enforce their demands upon the government, making a notable push for reform (D) while educated men such as Henry Demarest Lloyd promoted virtue, not land, as the ideal focus of government (B). Dissatisfaction continued within the middle class. As new industrial machines emerged, designed for mass product...
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live in this world and country during the transition from a rural; agriculture society to an economic nation rise of an industrialized society? Well that is exactly what the people of the Gilded Age experienced. It was a time of a dramatic business and political practice. In order for the business’s to rise there soon became a great amount of separation towards the people and the country. This caused our society to experience a stressful time and made it very difficult for ideas and concepts to equal out. Throughout this specific document there are four sources that were written by different individuals. Each and every source has an explanation and an overview of the times in the Gilded Age.
During the 19th century, the proletariat was at the mercy of the bourgeoisie for survival. The bourgeoisie imposed conditions that required the proletariat to work under harsh, unsafe, and unhealthy industries. Cities were overcrowded, unsafe, and hazardous due to the many factors including the smoke from the factories that clouded the skies. Earlier, Friederich Engels had described the conditions of the proletariat in the town of Manchester. He saw, “everything which here [aroused] horror and indignation [as] of recent origin which [belonged] to the Industrial Epoch”.1 Not only did the proletariat have to work in unsafe factories but also was doomed to life long misery.
America reaped great benefits from the new wave of Industrialization during the 1890’s. There was an abundance of advanced, new technologies that made large-scale production easier and more achievable. These new factories produced more goods than ever before, and they were open to the middle-class. Yet this modernization was not all for the best, with the result being a decent amount of civil unrest. There were large issues with immigration. Everyday, there were thousands of Europeans who were coming to America looking for work. Despite the fact that the working conditions were awful and the wages weren’t much better, they were better than the work overseas. There was also the rising issue of anarchists becoming more and more of a problem as they were becoming more vocal. The worker’s strikes also contributed to some of the chaos of the Industrialization period. Strikes soon turned violent as the strikes came one after the other. Unemployment numbers continued to grow as the capitalists slowly grew richer. People such as Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams and Edward Bellamy and his followers each had different opinions with that what was wrong with industrialized America and how to fix it.
Many impoverished people immigrated to America in hopes of achieving the American Dream but instead were faced with dangerous working conditions while the factory and corporation owners increased their wealth and profit by exploiting this cheap means of labor. Upton Sinclair succeeded to show the nature of the wage slavery occurring in America in the beginning of the twentieth century. People felt distressed and unimportant in the community because they were being used by the wealthy to generate capital leading the industry for the future success and efficacy in the market. Upton Sinclair was an American journalist who incorporated his personal research of the meatpacking industry conditions and people’s life, as well as the structure of the present business into the novel under analysis. Thus, real facts and data were incorporated into this literary work, which helps the audience to feel involved in the work and understand the overall atmosphe...
Montgomery, David. The Fall of the House of Labor: The Workplace, the State, and American Labor Activism, 1865-1925. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
This tragedy pointed out the negatives of sweatshop conditions of the industrialization era. It emphasized the worst part of its times the low wages, long hours, and unsanitary working conditions were what symbolized what sweatshops were all about. These conditions were appalling, and no person should ever be made to work in these conditions.
The movie “12 Angry Men” examines the dynamics at play in a United States jury room in the 1950’s. It revolves around the opinions and mindsets of twelve diverse characters that are tasked with pronouncing the guilt or innocence of a young man accused of patricide. The extraordinary element is that their finding will determine his life or death. This play was made into a movie in 1957, produced by Henry Fonda who played the lead role, Juror #8, and Reginald Rose who wrote the original screenplay. This essay will explore some of the critical thinking elements found within the context of this movie, and will show that rational reason and logic when used effectively can overcome the mostly ineffective rush to judgment that can be prevalent in a population. The juror that seemed interesting is Juror #8, who was played by Henry Fonda. Juror #8, or Davis, is an architect, the first dissenter and protagonist in the film. He was the first one to declare that the young man was innocent and he managed to convince the other jurors to see his point of view. Durkheim states that when we respond to deviance, it brings people together (Macionis, 2013, p. 159). We affirm the moral ties that bind us together, which was seen in the movie. At first, almost all of the jurors were so bent on convicting the young man based on their feelings, but they then started to analyze the facts and they came together to make their final decision.
Davis, Thomas J. “The New York Slave Conspiracy of 1741 As Black Protest.” Articles on American Slavery. Ed. Paul Finkleman. Vol.5. New York: Grand, 1989. 33-46.