United We Stand: Industry and Famous Strikes

Quiz Webform ID
22410
date_published
Teaser

Stand up (or sit down) for better working conditions! Test your knowledge of strikes in U.S. history.

quiz_instructions

As the work of another school year begins, Labor Day reminds us to honor the nation's workers. Since the rise of industry, workers have used strikes and other forms of protest to demand change and recognition. Select the correct answer for each of the labor-related questions below.

Quiz Answer



1. What U.S. census data does this map portray?

a. The 1930 relative concentration of "totally unemployed persons registered" in each state.
b. The 1870 relative amount of "total capital invested (in dollars) in manufacturing" in each state.
c. The 1920 relative concentration of "manufacturing establishments" in each state.
d. The 1950 relative concentration of "employed females" in each state.

By 1920, industry had established itself as a fixture of the American economy and way of life, though its hubs remained in the Mid-Atlantic. New York continued to be a center of industry, and Illinois, with the continuing rise of Chicago as an urban industrial center, had become one, as well.

2. On May 4, 1886, a peaceful workers' rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square ended in death and confusion when a dynamite bomb was thrown into a line of approaching police officers. The Haymarket Affair received nationwide media attention and the trials of the alleged guilty parties went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Four of the accused were hung and a fifth committed suicide.

What reform was the rally supporting?

a. The removal of hazardous parts-manufacturing machinery from a McCormick Harvesting Machine Company plant.
b. The passing of a minimum-wage law in the state of Illinois.
c. The paying of compensation to workers who suffered debilitating injuries from repetitive factory work.
d. The institution of the eight-hour workday.

The speakers at the Haymarket Affair supported strikers who had engaged in a May 1 nationwide walkout to support an eight-hour workday. On May 3, the first workday after the walkout, police killed two workers outside a McCormick plant during a confrontation between scabs (temporary workers hired to replace strikers) and strikers. This event provided an impetus for the Haymarket rally.

3. On February 6, 1919, more than 60,000 Seattle workers refused to work, marking the high point of a series of strikes and unrest that started in January 1919. The first labor action to effectively shut down an entire city, this strike hoped to secure what result?

a. The reinstatement of workers ousted by returning soldiers.
b. A pay raise for the city's shipyard workers.
c. The cessation of all U.S. hostilities against the Bolshevik Red Army in Russia and of any support for forces opposing the Red Army.
d. A stop to the installation of new machinery that would reduce the work force necessary in the shipyards.

During World War I, the government imposed wage controls, keeping the wages of Seattle shipyard workers down even as the shipyards expanded through war production contracts. Following the war, the workers expected a raise in their wages; when denied, approximately 25,000 members of the Metal Trades Council union alliance went on strike. A general citywide strike followed, with about 35,000 other workers striking in support of the shipyard protest. The strike officially ended on February 11—though not before touching off a widespread "Red Scare."

4. On December 30, 1936, the workers at Flint, Michigan's General Motors automobile plant began a six-week long strike to press for better working conditions. Organized by the United Auto Workers, the strike used what relatively unusual technique to make its point?

a. Strikers not only stopped working during the strike, but left town entirely, taking their families with them.
b. Strikers remained entirely silent during the strike.
c. Strikers, instead of picketing outside of the factory, occupied the factory, preventing upper management and law enforcement from entering.
d. Strikers sabotaged the factory's power supply, re-sabotaging it whenever plant management repaired it.

Known as the Flint Sit-down Strike, this strike used techniques later adapted by the civil rights movement. On December 30, workers sat down at their places and refused to leave the factory for six weeks. Provided food and supplies by supporters, the workers repelled attempts by the police to drive them out and even initiated the surprise takeover of another plant in the last two weeks of the strike.

For more information

Labourday_answer_thumbnail.jpg The map of the 1920 concentration of manufacturing establishments was generated by the University of Virginia Library's Historical Census Browser. The browser provides searchable census data for 1790 through 1960, with the option to visualize any data selections in maps such as the one above; all of the categories mentioned in Question One are categories available on the website. For Teachinghistory.org's review of the Historical Census Browser, go here.

Teachinghistory.org's reviews the Library of Congress's American Memory collection Chicago Anarchists on Trial: Evidence from the Haymarket Affair, 1886-1887 here.

The Seattle General Strike Project looks at the 1919 general strike through primary sources, including photographs, video clips, newspaper articles, and oral histories. The website is part of the University of Washington's larger Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, collecting primary sources on civil rights and labor movements throughout the city's history. NHEC reviews the Project here.

Historical Voices provides a website on the Flint Sit-down Strike: Remembering the Flint Sit-down Strike: 1936-1937. The website provides close to 100 oral history interviews with strikers, as well as essays on the events of the strike. NHEC's review of the website can be found here.

Sources
Image
National Eight Hour Law Proclamation, 1870
National Eight Hour Law Proclamation, 1870
thumbnail
Parade banner of Veterans of the Haymarket Riot, 1895
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Demographics 1890-1915

Question

I am trying to find a good website that have the demographics during 1890-1915. Could you please give me a direction to go in?

Answer

Luckily, population studies play a role in many facets of government funding and studies. The wealth of information on U.S. demographics is rooted in the U.S. Census Bureau. The first census was taken in 1790 and included men, women, free, and enslaved persons. For more information on the history of one of the first government agencies, read the Teachinghistory.org article, Stand Up and Be Counted: Teaching with the Census which also provides guidance on lesson plans.

Hinkle-Garton Farmstead [IN]

Description

The farmstead dates to 1886. John Henry and Laura Ann Rawlins Hinkle built their Queen-Anne-style home in 1892. The Hinkles built a smaller, Free-Classic-style home on the property around 1910 for their son, Henry Ernest Hinkle, and his wife, Bertha Elizabeth Rogers. As an intact group of farm buildings from the Queen Anne era, it is the only such group in Bloomington and one of the few in Monroe County. Now 11.08 acres, the farmstead includes a Midwest three-portal dairy barn, grain crib, early garage, and blacksmith shed.

The farmstead offers tours.

Winston Churchill Memorial Breakout Session

Description

This workshop provides in-depth training about the Winston Churchill Memorial's education curriculum specific to the 6–8 classroom. This workshop will assist teachers in preparing students for participating in the Memorial's various on-site and outreach school programs.

Contact name
Crump, Mandy
Sponsoring Organization
Winston Churchill Memorial and Library
Phone number
5735926242
Target Audience
6-8
Start Date
Duration
Four hours

Winston Churchill Memorial Breakout Session

Description

This workshop provides in-depth training about the Winston Churchill Memorial's education curriculum specific to the 9–12 classroom. This workshop will assist teachers in preparing students for participating in the Memorial's various on-site and outreach school programs.

Contact name
Crump, Mandy
Sponsoring Organization
Winston Churchill Memorial and Library
Phone number
5735926242
Target Audience
9-12
Start Date
Contact Title
Education Coordinator
Duration
Four hours

James M. Cox Foundation

Description

A limited number of scholarships are available for public schools from Hamilton and York Counties. These scholarships include funding for tuition and for transportation to attend Heritage Activities for Today’s Students (H.A.T.S.) classes at Stuhr Museum. H.A.T.S. classes are integrated, curriculum-based instructional units for kindergarten through sixth grade taught by professional instructors in period attire.

Sponsoring Organization
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer; James M. Cox Foundation
Eligibility Requirements

Students must attend Nebraska public schools located in Hamilton and York Counties.

Scholarships provide tuition for H.A.T.S. classes, and for transportation stipends not to exceed $200 per school. Transportation stipends may reimburse mileage or cover the costs of bus rental.

Scholarships are limited and are awarded on a first-come basis.

Location
Grand Island, NE

Oklahoma Heritage Association Annual Award

Description

Educators teaching grades four through 12 who have demonstrated excellence in teaching Oklahoma history are eligible for this award. One award is given to an educator in former Indian Territory and one is given to an educator in former Oklahoma Territory. The winner will receive a cash prize.

Sponsoring Organization
Oklahoma Heritage Association
Eligibility Requirements

4-12 grade teachers in Oklahoma are eligible for this award.

Award Amount
Cash; unspecified
Location
Oklahoma City, OK

James C. Olson Memorial Award

Description

This annual award goes to a Nebraska teacher who epitomizes the best Nebraska educators have to offer in engaging, inspiring, and guiding their students to discover, enjoy, and learn from the fascinating and important histories state residents share. The award, consisting of a plaque and a lifetime membership with the Nebraska State Historical Society, is limited to K-12 teachers who encourage and support their students in endeavors such as History Day; who use documents, oral history, or place in classroom projects; or who employ other imaginative or innovative methods to make Nebraska history come alive for their students. A committee drawn from the current NSHS Board of Trustees, the NSHS Emeritus Trustees, and the NSHS staff nominates/selects the recipient.

Sponsoring Organization
Nebraska State Historical Society
Eligibility Requirements

K-12 Nebraska educator.

Award Amount
Plaque and lifetime membership with the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Location
NE

Judy Cromwell Excellence in Teaching Awards

Description

The Judy Cromwell Excellence in Teaching awards recognize exceptional social studies instruction in the state of Kansas in grades K-12 as well as higher education. Awards are given for each of the three grade levels (elementary, middle/junior high, and high school).

Sponsoring Organization
Kansas Council for the Social Studies
Eligibility Requirements

Applicant must be presently serving as a social studies educator (K–Higher Education) with at least a half-time appointment, and have taught a minimum of three years at the designated grade level.

Application Deadline
Award Amount
Complimentary registration for the Kansas Council for the Social Studies Conference, $50 cash, and a framed commemorative award
Location
KS