Joe Dislikes Comcast
Here are the notes for Wednesday, January 10, 2007:
Corruption-
-city governments become corrupt and organized crime rises
-a contractor eager to win a city contract would pay off officials, called a “graft”
-holding office paid so well that political machines were created to grantee reelection.
-The head, usually the mayor, of a machine was the “boss”
-Machines used ward bosses to win loyalty of city dwellers by helping immigrants in exchange for votes
-gangsters began threatening small manufacturers with violence and economic ruin if they didn’t pay for “protection”
Black Labor-
-Unlike immigrants, blacks remained in the rural south
-Worked as sharecroppers and tenant farmers
-usually taken advantage of
-whites forced artificially low prices for crops and charged high prices for materials
-poverty and debt were common
Some African Americans migrated to industrial areas of the south to work in iron, coal mines, furniture, cigarettes, railroad track layers, longshoremen, and steelworkers
Some went north to work on the fringe of industry as janitors, elevator workers, teamsters, etc.
Southern industry had hardships like marching to work and payment once a month
Jim Crow Laws passed in every Southern legislature in the 1890’s
-legalized segregation
-North had no laws, but still had prejudice
-Industrialists hired Europeans over blacks
-only hired blacks when whites were on strike
-long established blacks were squeezed out of jobs
-destroyed the black middle class
-residential areas were more segregated
-Northern blacks were resourceful: created churches, societies, political organizations, and businesses
-Booker T Washington argued for black self help and sufficiency as priority
-community building was tougher for blacks because communities were small and poor
Unions
-early decades of 1900’s, workers were in tough situations
-only hope to get help was to create unions and make demands
The knights of labor
-opened to everyone
-unskilled workers were able to join
-eventually failed
Strikes
-Feds usually came to break up strikes using force
-courts found unions in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act because they hindered trade
-Prior to 1916, no federal laws were around to protect the rights of workers to organize or require employers to bargain
Most labor organizations were more timid due to the negative view of workers
-most were organized into groups based on trade
The AFL was led by Samuel Gompers
-no unskilled workers, few members, most were prejudice
UMW and ILGWU
-unskilled workers poured in, turned to other organizations
-IWW (Industrial workers of the World)
IWW rejected AFL’s idea of craft organization
-wanted one big union
-too radical, but proved to get unskilled members
-strikes turned violent
-Ludlow Massacre kills 66
In 1914, many Americans resented low wages, had little government help, and started protesting at their own risk
City life-
-industry workers crowded dance halls, vaudeville, amusement parks, ball parks, and movies
-movies cost five cents
New Woman
-through most of the 19th century, the idea of “separate spheres” set tones for relationships
- Men and women weren’t supposed to intrude on each other’s spheres
-Victorianism
-Middle class men were tired of all work and no play
-Middle class women with degrees were frustrated that they couldn’t find work
-Youths want less parent supervision
Young, single, working women
-most influential
-more employment with new types of jobs
-worked near men, earned money, and were free of parents
-premarital sex increased but engagements were lengthy
Margaret Sanger lectured on Birth Control
Emma Goldman called marriage “prostitution” and wanted “free love”
Backlash-
-parents worried, cities were concerned and created vice commissions to stop unseemly activities
-Mann Act of 1916 declared transport of women across state lines for immoral purposes a federal crime
Corruption-
-city governments become corrupt and organized crime rises
-a contractor eager to win a city contract would pay off officials, called a “graft”
-holding office paid so well that political machines were created to grantee reelection.
-The head, usually the mayor, of a machine was the “boss”
-Machines used ward bosses to win loyalty of city dwellers by helping immigrants in exchange for votes
-gangsters began threatening small manufacturers with violence and economic ruin if they didn’t pay for “protection”
Black Labor-
-Unlike immigrants, blacks remained in the rural south
-Worked as sharecroppers and tenant farmers
-usually taken advantage of
-whites forced artificially low prices for crops and charged high prices for materials
-poverty and debt were common
Some African Americans migrated to industrial areas of the south to work in iron, coal mines, furniture, cigarettes, railroad track layers, longshoremen, and steelworkers
Some went north to work on the fringe of industry as janitors, elevator workers, teamsters, etc.
Southern industry had hardships like marching to work and payment once a month
Jim Crow Laws passed in every Southern legislature in the 1890’s
-legalized segregation
-North had no laws, but still had prejudice
-Industrialists hired Europeans over blacks
-only hired blacks when whites were on strike
-long established blacks were squeezed out of jobs
-destroyed the black middle class
-residential areas were more segregated
-Northern blacks were resourceful: created churches, societies, political organizations, and businesses
-Booker T Washington argued for black self help and sufficiency as priority
-community building was tougher for blacks because communities were small and poor
Unions
-early decades of 1900’s, workers were in tough situations
-only hope to get help was to create unions and make demands
The knights of labor
-opened to everyone
-unskilled workers were able to join
-eventually failed
Strikes
-Feds usually came to break up strikes using force
-courts found unions in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act because they hindered trade
-Prior to 1916, no federal laws were around to protect the rights of workers to organize or require employers to bargain
Most labor organizations were more timid due to the negative view of workers
-most were organized into groups based on trade
The AFL was led by Samuel Gompers
-no unskilled workers, few members, most were prejudice
UMW and ILGWU
-unskilled workers poured in, turned to other organizations
-IWW (Industrial workers of the World)
IWW rejected AFL’s idea of craft organization
-wanted one big union
-too radical, but proved to get unskilled members
-strikes turned violent
-Ludlow Massacre kills 66
In 1914, many Americans resented low wages, had little government help, and started protesting at their own risk
City life-
-industry workers crowded dance halls, vaudeville, amusement parks, ball parks, and movies
-movies cost five cents
New Woman
-through most of the 19th century, the idea of “separate spheres” set tones for relationships
- Men and women weren’t supposed to intrude on each other’s spheres
-Victorianism
-Middle class men were tired of all work and no play
-Middle class women with degrees were frustrated that they couldn’t find work
-Youths want less parent supervision
Young, single, working women
-most influential
-more employment with new types of jobs
-worked near men, earned money, and were free of parents
-premarital sex increased but engagements were lengthy
Margaret Sanger lectured on Birth Control
Emma Goldman called marriage “prostitution” and wanted “free love”
Backlash-
-parents worried, cities were concerned and created vice commissions to stop unseemly activities
-Mann Act of 1916 declared transport of women across state lines for immoral purposes a federal crime
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