HIST 1025 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Sherman Antitrust Act, Pullman Strike, Melting Pot
February 3
Opening song: The Entertainer- Scott Joplin
Ragtime- music born in brothels and whorehouses. It set off a musical revolution, the basis of a
dance craze: the sound of the city
Cities and Immigrants: “America” Redefined
● Becoming Urban
● Migrants to the City
● American Identities
We’re going to finish talking about the Pullman strike first.
Professor Pittenger is going to record himself discussing material (that he doesn’t have time to
get to in class) on D2L, and he will send an email to the class when it is posted.
*Quick review of two models of labor unions (big vision vs. pure and simple, etc.)*
New info:
Richard Olney: Railroad lawyer, U.S. Attorney General. He is not a neutral party, and he
cooperates with the railroad companies. Olney and associate claim that the strike violates the
Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890). It’s ironic because the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was supposed to
be used against the railroads to fight monopolies and corruption. Federal injunction was used to
jail workers and force them either to work or be jailed. GMA plan worked because troops were
brought in. The army that was sent in decimated the union and destroyed the strike. Mobs set
fire to freight cars, and the president orders the troops to act decisively. 13 workers killed and
50+ wounded in the time after the strike (after the troops came in).
Aftermath of strike: ARU collapses, many strikers were fired and blacklisted. This prevented
them from getting hired in their industry. Unionism was considered criminal, so strikers were
treated as such. Letters of recommendation from Pullman had watermarks of cranes with
slashed necks if they participated in the strike. Those with letters of recommendation featuring
the watermark were not hired.
Failure of ARU:
1. Depression (1893-1897)
2. Craft vs. industrial unionism (skilled versus unskilled)
3. Corporate cooperation (Organization)
4. Federal intervention (sending troops, and federal courts seeing to the injunction against
the union)
The labor movement will mainly follow the “Pure and Simple” method of Gompers. It will ignore
minorities and unskilled laborers.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
It set off a musical revolution, the basis of a dance craze: the sound of the city. We"re going to finish talking about the pullman strike first. Professor pittenger is going to record himself discussing material (that he doesn"t have time to get to in class) on d2l, and he will send an email to the class when it is posted. *quick review of two models of labor unions (big vision vs. pure and simple, etc. He is not a neutral party, and he cooperates with the railroad companies. Olney and associate claim that the strike violates the. It"s ironic because the sherman anti-trust act was supposed to be used against the railroads to fight monopolies and corruption. Federal injunction was used to jail workers and force them either to work or be jailed. Gma plan worked because troops were brought in. The army that was sent in decimated the union and destroyed the strike.
