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Throughout the 1800s, working conditions were poor across America, leading to many injuries on the job. In the featured image, a coal mine has collapsed, leaving multiple dead. This sad reality was not uncommon in the slightest, which is another key reason that workers in the 1800s had it pretty bad.  Between 1890 and 1900 alone, there were over 2,500 deaths in coal mine accidents (History of Workplace Safety). The frequency of deaths and injuries shows the magnitude of the problem, yet it was not solved for a long while. Even after the 19th century’s close, the issue of safety in the workplace was not solved until late into the 20th. In 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act states that “[e]mployers MUST provide their employees with a workplace that does not have serious hazards” (OSHA). This greatly decreased the chance of being hurt on the job, however not in time for the 19th century workers to prosper from the change.  Again, change happened in favor of American workers, but not in the 19th century.

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In the 19th century, many workers vied for a shorter work day, and a leading figure in these protests was Samuel Gompers (pictured below). Gompers wrote a famous document titled What does the Working Man Want?, in which he spelled out the injustices of working in the 19th century.  Men would have to go "ten or twelve or fourteen hours” without rest, a clear injustice (Gompers).  Gompers lobbied for an eight-hour work day, and backed up his wish with the belief that the brain works better if one works diligently for a shorter amount of time. He claimed that this would lead to better innovations, and therefore would be beneficial to employers as well as to workers. This final issue is another that was not solved until the 20th century, and even then, the solution was indirect. Just like the minimum wage, overtime pay was established under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This part of the act ensures that any employee under it must receive an extra 50% or more of pay per hour for any time they work over 40 hours a week (Us Dept. of Labor). This was a win for the workers, but once again it did not come until the 20th century (1938), and even then it did not fully solve the problem, just better the scenario for workers.

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Child labor was another major problem during the 19th century. With no laws to forbid companies from employing children, many kids bore great responsibility in the workplace.  The below photo shows two kids, clearly underage, working in a clothing factory. The use of children as laborers grew to the point that “[b]y 1820, children made up more than 40 percent of the mill employees in at least three New England states" (Bureau of Labor Statistics).  Child labor continued long past that 1820 mark, though, until a law banned it. The Keating-Owen Labor Act of 1916 outlawed the sale of items from companies that employed children under 14 (Our Documents). For this issue, just like the others explored, a solution was found, but not until after the 19th century, continuing the theme of 1800s workers being treated unfairly.

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The Pullman Strike was a movement started by workers at the Pullman Railroad Company, protesting the low wages George Pullman paid them.  The strike escalated to the point that almost 250,000 workers joined.  Eventually, President Cleveland had to send in federal troops to put it down, killing many protestors and leading to the strike's failure. This issue was not solved until the mid-20th century, however: "The law ... established a minimum wage of 25 cents per hour for the first year, to be increased to 40 cents within seven years” (Britannica). The Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938, established America’s first minimum wage, a luxury that 19th century workers did not receive, furthering the idea that the 20th century workers were subject to many benefits that those of the 19th century laborers were not.

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Though the working class of America won many battles in the 20th century regarding minimum wage, job safety, child labor, and shortening work days, benefits like these were not found in the 19th century.