History of the Economy and Labor Market in the United States

THE HISTORY OF THE ECONOMY AND LABOR MARKET OF THE USA
Student's Name
Class Information
Date
1 Introduction
The world economic and labor cycle began in America, following industrial innovations right after Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries. As the country lacked skilled labor, cheap experts in different genres were extracted from African and Asian countries. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, America became familiar with rapid industrialization and economic growth (Roy Rosenzweig et al. 2008). This led to the rise of large corporations, the growth of urban areas, and significant changes in work and labor. The period saw the inception of a well-framed working class, with the formation of unions and the labor movement's growth. This period also saw significant conflicts between labor and management, including strikes and industrial action.[Roy Rosenzweig et al., Who Built America?: Working People and the Nation's History (Boston: Beford/St. Martin's, 2008).]
Additionally, the period saw the development of new labor laws and policies, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which developed a minimum pay rate and maximum workweek at the country level (Roy Rosenzweig et al. 2008). Overall, 1880 to 1945 was a time of significant change and transformation in labor and worked in the United States. This essay will briefly overview the country's economy and the labor market in the historical context. Also, there would be a discussion on the joint labor leagues and the reasons behind the unification of workers during the 18th century in the USA.[Ibid.]
2 Discussion and Analysis
The labor market also underwent significant changes during this period. Large corporations' rise led to wage labour growth, as opposed to independent or self-employed work. This resulted in the growth of the working class, composed of people who worked for wages and did not own the means of production (Joseph G. Rayback 1976). These factors led to the initiation of skirmishes between the workers and the employees. The struggle between labor and capital manifested itself in various forms of industrial action, such as strikes, boycotts, and lockouts (Joseph G. Rayback, 1976). One of the most significant examples of this conflict was the Haymarket affair in 1886, in which workers went on strike for an eight-hour workday, the police opened fire on workers, killing several, and several were executed later (Samuel Gompers 1893). This event helped galvanize the labor movement and bring attention to workers' struggles.[Joseph G. Rayback, A History of American Labor (New York: Macmillan, 1976).] [Ibid.] [Samuel Gompers, What Does Labor Want? A Paper Read before the International Labor Congress, Chicago, Sept., 1893 (New York: Amer. Federation of Labor, 1893).]
In the same way, technological advances, such as the telegraph and telephone, made it easier for workers to organize and communicate with one another, regardless of location. To add to it, the workers were forced to work on machines or in the coal mines for long and long hours. They were not paid according to their efforts. The workers were exploited by their employers for doing extra-hour and extra-effort work. The typical work hours were not defined, and the employers used to force the employees to work for 12 or even longer hours on average, but they were not paying their workers for their working efforts. The economic and social injustice by the employers urged the employees to gather under one platform to further their rights.
Additionally, many rebellious movements began to take form during the 18th and 19th centuries. Every movement had its own story to cover and its agenda to fight. The unions fighting for furthering workers' rights became prominent among these movements and earned prestige. Another reason was the expansion of transportation infrastructure, such as the construction of railroads, which made it easier for people to move to urban areas for work (Andrew Carnegie, 2007). This also allowed for the movement of goods and raw materials to and from the cities, supporting industry growth. Furthermore, racial and ethnic minorities, such as African Americans and immigrants, faced discrimination in other forms of employment. For example, local farmers enslaved Africans to do agriculture-related jobs. In 1800 there were around 893,041; by 1850, this number was doubled, and the Blacks were forced to undergo slavery. The initiation of industrial machinery and the capture of the agricultural industry by industrial machinery led to several jobs opening. The factories associated with industrial work needed workers regardless of color and creed to compete with the competitors. Thus, industrial labor became the most accessible form of employment for all kinds of workers without discrimination of color, creed, and country.[Andrew Carnegie, The Gospel of Wealth: And Other Timely Essays (Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Pub., 2007).] [Anonymous, “African Americans in the Early Republic (Article),” Khan Academy (Khan Academy, 0AD), /humanities/us-history/the-early-republic/culture-and-reform/a/african-americans-in-the-early-republic#:~:text=The%20majority%20of%20African%20Americans,the%20American%20South%20and%20West.]
The expansion of the industrial sector and the urban labor force also worked like catalysts in forming unified workers' ...