Weakness of the Labor Movement from 1877 to 1900

Your Name Subject and Section Professor’s Name June 15, 2019 Most Important Factor that contributed to the Weakness of the Labor Movement from 1877 to 1900 Would it be better to live oppressed under a regime of peace, or live freely while fighting for one’s right and liberty? This dilemma has been one of the things that the Americans felt prior to the inception of the Labor Movement. Before the movement itself, most workers are underpaid, given unreasonable work hours, and lack the basic compensation that we enjoy these days. In other words, it was the Labor movement that led to the modern-workplace and worker’s rights that America is hailed upon internationally. However, history would show that despite the number of workers in America (as beneficiaries), the movement still experienced a sharp decline in its activity and membership. While there are many factors that contributed to this, it is the rise in the dominance of capitalism, leading to the rise in America’s economy that led to the downfall of the Labor Movement. Body One of the main causes of the Labor movement’s weakness is the ever-growing dominance of Capitalism as the mode of production in the United States. On the one hand, capitalism “has led companies to pioneer methods for mass production that are “bigger and more efficiently powered by electricity” (p.182). This is in line with America’s aim of increasing profit returns, regardless of the work conditions of laborers, which is commonly described as “harsh and demanding” (p. 182). On the other hand, as the labor movement aimed to protect laborer’s rights in the workplace, capitalism has also led to the belief that the rise of communism within the United States would surely lead to the downfall of its economy, especially among the upper classes. This fear against communist ideologist was exemplified by the “Red Scare”, where “radicals suffered arrest and deportation… that featured massive violations of civil liberties” (p. 312). While it was noted by the American government itself that these measures were only used in order to maintain peace and promote growth during the wartime era, such actions have led to long-lasting implications that affected not only the Labor Movement but even the actions succeeding it. In other words, both the dominance of capitalism as well as the fear against the communist ideology in opposition countries, that became some of the leading factors of the movement’s downfall. Coupled with the dominance of capitalism within the American nation, was the continuous rise of the American economy leading also to a decline in the interests towards the movement. It could be recalled that prior to the rise of the Labor Movement, a series of “progressive” acts had happened w...