The United States from the 1880s to the 1930s - Essay Example

Social, Political, and Economic Issues in the United s from the 1880s to the 1930s Introduction Out of This Furnace isa novel that introduces the world to the history of immigration, industrialization, labor relations and the rise of labor unions and later trade unions to fight for the rights of workers. This novel tells the story of Djuro Kracha, an immigrant in to the USA, and his successive generations, pertaining to the social, economical and the political conditions that these generations faced. Nevertheless, while focusing on the three generations, the novel tells an overall story of the industrial workers in the USA, for the period 1880s to the 1930s. Thus, this discussion covers the social, economic, and political position of the industrial workers in the USA during this period, with a focus on how the industrial workers tried to improve their position, and the extent to which they registered success or failure. Discussion The industrial workers in the USA for the period 1880s to the 1930s faced several social issues, which made their life very hard and almost unbearable. To start with, the working conditions that the workers were experiencing were devastating. Despite working in an environment that was a total health hazard, the industrial workers did not have an alternative, since any attempt to have their working conditions improved by their employers were met with hostility and noncooperation. This example can be drawn from the novel Out of This Furnace, where Francka meets George and his family at the train station, and notices the smokiness and the air pollution that is coming out of the mills, yet it is the same environment where the industrial workers spend most of their lives working in the mills and living in the regions nearby (Bell, 33). These poor working conditions are eminent throughout the novel, indicating that the poor working conditions for the workers persisted during the period 1880s to 1930. The poor working conditions would see most industrial workers move from one industry or factory to the other, in search for more favorable working conditions. This can been seen from this novel, where Joe tells George that his family is moving to Cherry Alley, where life is more expensive, but it is worth, just for the sake of getting away from the cinder dump (Bell, 53). The working conditions of the industrial workers during this period were such dangerous, that losing life for the workers was a normalcy. Another social issue facing the industrial workers during this period is lack of adequate health facilities, despite the dangerous working conditions they were operating in, which leaves the workers either ill or injured (Foner, 26). While George is lucky to get some employment, he notices some deep boom on the floor of the industry, and feels the earth shake only to realize that an explosion had occurred which injured many of his co-workers. George and other co-workers go to find a doctor for the injured workers, which proves impossible and they have to put them in a train and take them to Pittsburgh, the only place they could find a hospital (Bell, 112). Social situation was also imbalanced during this period, with more men than women in the industrial towns, which triggered infidelity and marriage breakups (Bell, 91). Economic issues facing the industrial workers were also plenty. Poverty is one of the major reason that triggered immigrants to move from their home or countries, to go into the urban areas and seek for employment, which was hoped could give them some income and thus get them out of poverty. For example, George Kracha left Hungary for America in 1881, and he left behind a young wife, a sister and a widowed mother, in escape from poverty, hoping to get employment in the industrial towns and thus rescue his family from poverty (Bell, 7). The issue of poverty is also identifiable in the life that the industrial workers were living. They barely had sufficient to eat, they could afford descent housing and could not even afford to pay hospital bills when they fall sick (Weir and Ann, 159). The cost of living was also very high, in consideration of the wages that the workers earned and the rents they were charged for the houses they lived in. when George meets Francka at the train station, she took him and his family to a single roomed house, explaining that they did not need more than such kind of a house, since rents charged were so high (Bell, 75). Business during this period was not very profitable, making life even harder. George had established a shop which he run for quite a long period, yet it did not prove to be improving financially, and all the money he had been making were consumed in his wife’s funeral (Bell, 108). The political situation was equally devastating for the industrial workers, since they did not have much of bargaining power, either in their work place or in their residences (Foner, 59). First, there lacked a political platform for the employees to advocate for their rights (Weir and Ann, 167). It is this political situation that triggered the rise of the labor movements and the trade unions, which would act as the mouth piece for the workers and other oppressed social groups, since they hardly afforded to negotiate for any deal as individuals or small groups in the work place (Foner, 44). There lacked a political framework that would establish suitable working policies and enact legislations that would favor the oppressed industrial workers. This meant that the workers could work for many years without having their salaries increased. There lacked the political will to improve the working conditions of the laborers during the period 1880s to 1930s (Foner, 81). For example, in the novel Out of This Furnace, Mike Dobrejcak was an immigrant who had lived in America for 11 years, while working in the steel mill for ten years, still earning the same wage of fourteen cents an hour (Bell, 119). Nevertheless, there are several attempts that were made by the industrial workers group to improve their situation. On the social-political front, the industrial workers moved towards establishing labor movements and trade unions that would bargain with their employers and the government on their behalf, to have their political and social conditions improved (Weir and Ann, 162). The same trade unions would fight for the economic interests of the workers, through bargaining for some good pay rates (Foner, 93). Additionally, the industrial workers tried to improve their economic conditions through establishing businesses, which would earn them the highly desired financial freedom, as can been seen in the case of George in the novel Out of This Furnace. Most of these attempts succeeded, while still others failed. However, these attempts formed the basis of the modern day labor unions and labor laws. Works Cited Bell, Thomas. Out of This Furnace. Jarrolds: London, 1942. Print. Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. Print. Weir, Margaret and Ann S. Orloff. The Politics of Social Policy in the United States. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 1988. Print. Read More