The Progressive Era, Immigration, Unions, and the Labor Movement by sage

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

pickleprincess327 — 2025-06-23 03:44:17 UTC

The AFL was founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers and was a conservative labor union that focused on skilled workers. The AFL was nationwide, all across the US. The goal was to have fairer wages and better working conditions. They did this through bargaining. The AFL still exists to this day and served as a lasting influence on labor rights for workers to have better working conditions and pay.

The Working Class

pickleprincess327 — 2025-06-23 03:53:35 UTC

The working class was made up factory workers, immigrants, women, and children. They suffered unfair working conditions that were often unsafe and coupled with low wages and long hours during the late 19th century. Because of these conditions, unions and strikes were organized to attempt to have better conditions. Lasting impact caused major reforms, like child labor laws being set into place.

The New Consumer Culture

pickleprincess327 — 2025-06-23 04:02:12 UTC

Middle Class Americans became obsessed with department stores and shopping in general with the rise of mass-produced goods and advertising during the late 1800s and early 1900s due to industrialization making things cheaper. This changed the lifestyles and consumer habits of Americans, leading to economic growth.

Scientific Management (Taylorism)

pickleprincess327 — 2025-06-23 04:08:24 UTC

Frederick Winslow Taylor developed Taylorism in the 1880s, becoming popular in the early 1900s. This was a system created to increase industrial efficiency and was implemented in factories throughout the US to maximize their profit in short amounts of time. Through Taylorism, workers' tasks were broken up and timed. This increased output and production greatly but dehumanized workers and ''reduced'' them.

Knights of Labor

pickleprincess327 — 2025-06-23 04:16:23 UTC

The Knights of Labor was founded by Uriah Stephens in 1869 and was led by Terence Powderly. This was one of the largest labor unions to ever exist, including women and people of color. The union peaked in the 1880s and lost popularity after the Haymarket Riot in 1886. They fought for shorter and more fair work days with considerable hours, better wages, and safer working conditions. This was a nationwide union that organized boycotts and strikes in order to get their point across. The Knights of Labor paved the way for future unions.