The Creation of RailroadsEssay Preview: The Creation of RailroadsReport this essayGeraldyne De los ReyesPd. 4b 10-8-14Robber Barons vs. Captains of IndustryThe creation of railroads, telephones, and more, made a huge impact on industrialization. Another impact in industrialization was work force, transportation, etc. Many immigrants were coming to the U.S. looking for a better life for them and their families. Adding to this, the people coming in got jobs and created a greater demand for the consumer goods. Transportation, helped people move from one place to another, and as population got bigger people needed something to get around. America had a vast of natural resources, and it accelerated factories in the east. The industrialists of the 19th century were consider Robber Barons because they treated employees unfairly and had unfair business practice.
Geraldyne’s post gives an early summary of the work force of the New England Railway and Railroad companies using the tools (e.g., a tool that could cut through the soil and make them dig tunnels, a shovel, etc.) to build railroad platforms. This work of this scale requires much more advanced computer technology than was used and even is no longer available in the 21st century.
Robbers were able to find a way to quickly run railroads by hand. These machines gave a steady supply of raw materials and could then quickly handle the labor requirements of the workforce, allowing the railroads of the time to get in and out without losing any more workers or money compared to many of the early railroad industry workers. Additionally, once a work force was in place, it was easy to move from one work area to another, thus reducing the amount of work-related costs and freeing up the resources necessary to build new ones.
As the economy expanded further, many of these workers were able to save, invest, and expand their money with increased levels of government support and access to government insurance. While many of them might still have to worry about how much of the U.S. federal government’s budget or budget deficits really are to them, it was cheaper than living in poverty and having that much spending to live through. Today, most of the state and local governments that are using government funding to help their urban working classes are using it to support other working classes.
As railroad workers grew, the work force increased. In the 1850’s, many new working class groups started to be organized, and many of these groups wanted the new working class to take them forward. After mass rebellion and the American Civil War, many of these organizations continued to work with each other to form unions to form worker governments. With the opening of the country to the expanding economy, groups like the American Federation of Trade Unions and the Working Families Party and the United Methodist Association began to spread their message throughout the country.
In 1889, for example, they formed the League of the Automobile Workers (LAW), working directly with farmers throughout the United States. The League had the support of the federal government and the state of Connecticut, but the union members of this group were also the workers in the city of Burlington, Vermont.
In fact, unions that had formed before the Civil War were created by the United States government, and many members were still in the U.S. and needed help with building a movement. Most union leaders were in Vermont. The League of the Automobile Workers’ members included the union’s founders, and many of these workers used their union membership to organize their own strike.
The NLW also organized the New England Railroad and Industrial Union Convention in 1893, forming the New England Railroad Congress. The New England Regional Working Industrial Union and the New England Railroad Trade Union Confederation were formed as well.
The American Railroads did not come with a great deal of state aid during their development and expansion. In the 1890’s and early 1900’s the United States was seeing huge declines in population growth.
The New England Railways in the 19th and 20th Century” The rise of New England Railways, The Boston Globe, April 13, 1915The 18th Anniversary of
Industrialists treated employees unfairly by working long hours and in dangerous environments. As it says on the political cartoon, “He reduces wages, that he may play philanthropist with” (Document G). In other words, workers are getting money taken away from them, when they really work hard for it. The working conditions were unacceptable for the money they were getting. Also, owners of companies would not train the employees, the owners expected skilled workers. To explain this, “People were not getting enough money for the hours they work” (Document C). Carnegie was making a hundred times more money than the employees would make in 5 years.
Industrialists had unfair business practices because workers were exposed to life threating conditions such as, mine explosions, and diseases with not many doctors. As its shown in the picture, the stomachs of the men are big and heavy sacks of money that they are enjoying, while the employees have to carry them and suffer. In brief, the employees are working hard for their money but earn too little because these rich men are stealing it from them. In addition to this, “A remarkable scheme, the gist of which was to bring together secretly a large enough body of refiners and shippersand drawbacks on that of other people”. All things considered, Rockefeller and other people are planning and strategizing ways to make money in an easy way. Finally, workers were exposed to life threating conditions such as, mine explosions, and diseases with not many doctors.
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