In the 1840’s there was a wave of democratization created after Jackson’s presidency. It was created the value of the common man, and the importance of every person who was in the government. Of course, there were exceptions to this rule as there still certain groups like blacks or women that were viewed as inferior, but the majority of the population felt like they had worth. This led to series of reforms: hospitals for the mentally ill, schools for people with physical disabilities, the temperance movement, and labor unions. This movements fought a better society with better treatment even though there would be no economic incentives to do so. The Reform of mentally ill was led by Dorthea Dix, a teacher and activist for the treatment of …show more content…
Factories were paying far too little for someone to feed their whole family for that little, so many either would die or would turn to crime to survive; these laborers wanted equality. Men, women, and children were working and got employed in factories to work, and the dangerous and strenuous labor that children were put through to help the family expense caused many young children to die. Workers individually could not stop corporations, but collectively they could make an impact on their wages. The corporations eventually had to succumb to the pressure of labor supplies because the National Trade Union convinced the majority of the labor force to work from 12 hours a day to 10 hours. After the labor unions won, workers worked less, and they still had the same salary. However, the economic crises in 1837 collapsed the labor unions because of economic hard times, and with immigrants coming in surplus willing to work for cheap, regular people could not compete and thus had to work at the beckon of the factories. Labor unions worked when the economy was resilient, but when the economy was shocked, everyone was too afraid of demanding more when there were those willing to work for
Dorothea Dix developed the reform of prisons and the treatment of people with mental illness. Her attempts led to corrections in state prison systems and the creation of public institutions and hospitals for the mentally ill. Many prisoners were locked in cages and bound in cages, children accused of minor thefts were jailed with adult criminals, Dix was horrified. Dix gathered information about the horrors she had seen for two years. She prepared a detailed report for the Massachusetts state legislature.
From 1875-1900, America was beginning to rise up from the increase in industrialization. However, dubbed “the gilded age” by Mark Twain, the thriving promise of a better , wealthier life in America was not as it seemed. When labor unions rose to change the harsh working conditions placed on workers, it seemed to be that they found little to no success. This was brought on by the little change that they made, the suffering and hardships they brought on themselves and others, and the little support they received from those around them. Although labor unions were able to change some conditions, most of those changes were minimal.
Cassidy Bulger In the final years of the 19th Century, the rise of a more business-focused society lead to both advantages and abuse to be cast upon varying members of society. Protests against the abuse, especially in the workplace, lead to a desire for change. Between 1875 and 1900, groups of laborers banded together in Unions and put forth their efforts into trying to improve their position within society. These Labor Unions were persistent, but propaganda easily shaped the public’s opinion, and management often retaliated against their efforts. With this being said, organized labor was rather unsuccessful in significantly improving the positions of workers.
“In the United States history of unions, early workers and trade unions played an important part in the role for independence” (Union Plus). In 1866, the National Labor Union (NLU) ambitiously tried to achieve equal rights for women, African Americans, and mandate eight-hour work days. They managed to convince Congress to adopt the eight-hour work day, but only for federal employees. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) with approximately 1.4 million members was successful in wage negotiation, and enhanced work conditions for its members. “A combination of factors contributed to the debilitating Panic of 1873, which triggered what the public referred to at the time as the “Great Depression” of the 1870s” (OpenStax College, 2014).
According to the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal. But, that is not how society turned out to be. Immigrants, blacks, and women all faces discrimination throughout the 1800's. They were beaten, given poor jobs or sometimes no jobs, and not given the right to vote.
In the Gilded Age, from 1870s to 1900s, the United States had undergone an unprecedented industrial revolution. Inventions made the country's economy prosper, with railroads and steam-powered ships to transport not only goods but labors. The two distinct classes emerged in the nation: capitals and labors. The conservative ideologies of capitalism gained their significance within the nation, endorsed by renowned businessmen such as William Graham Sumner and Andrew Carnegie. The pro-business view of the intrinsic relationship between labor and capital is demonstrated in Thomas Nast's cartoon published in 1874.
Transforming Democracy From 1824-1840 were the years considered “The Jacksonian Era” in the United States. This was thought have as a huge influence on the changing democracy of our country. Our government already changed excessively in the previous Jeffersonian Era, to the Jacksonian Era, and it has also changed indefinitely from the Jacksonian Era to today’s democracy. The Jacksonian Era, and today’s democracy have similar backgrounds, yet drastically different rules and views on the citizens, specifically women and races other than white, of the United States of America.
In the twentieth century, America focused on responding to problems that emerged during the transformation from a rural agriculture society into an urban industrial one. A theme that sparked all Progressive reform was to use government for social welfare, rather than letting issues cure on their own. During this era, each state served as laboratories for democracy. By using government as an agent, reformers attacked child labor, corporate corruption, poverty, etc. Reformers attacked child labor, corporate corruption, over working etc.
The feeling, shown in Nast's illustration after the railroad strike of 1877, that amalgamations simply lead to more " communistic values" and general uniformity made it very arduous to genuinely get anything done. Samuel Gompers, progenitor of the American Federation of Labor, argued that the right to strike was absolutely obligatory if any reforms were going to be made and not even this right had been officially granted to the people by regime (Document I). Gompers made it very pellucid that not even the very substratum of organized labor had been established and so up until this point the advances that had been made, were virtually frivolous. In conclusion, from 1875-1900 very few advances were made through organized labor in achieving better working conditions for workers.
This provided better working hours and safe conditions for the factory workers. People argue that the factory owners sent thugs to interrupt labor unions and government did little to protect the laborers. However, when the Antitrusts Acts were passed, it stated that nothing contained in the Antitrust Laws shall be constructed to forbid the existence and operation of labor organizations (7). This proves that the Federal Government tried to intervene and help the laborers. Sooner or later, factory workers got what they wanted with the help of the reforms during the Progressive Era.
During the 1800s, the Reform Movements caused an uproar in the community. It’s the time when the leaders felt like they needed to change the way society works, and are desperate to take actions upon the problems they saw. The leaders knew right away that they needed to fix_ this issue immediately. Women’s rights and slavery were the issues that movement leaders were most concerned about. At the time, women and men had different roles in the Middle Class.
Profits for the farmers were getting smaller and smaller due to the increase in prices for the goods to be sold. These farmers believed in many different things- they believed in rules and regulations for the road (which included the fact that the government should control the railroad), lower tariffs, and that money should be based off of silver standard. For the industrial workers, their working conditions were not ideal. Each worker did not get paid nearly enough to support them and their families, even though they worked ten plus hour days, six days a week. Workers were not paid for sick days or injury.
During the reform movements they were faced with big obstacles than any other movement out there. They were faced with no voice to be heard and no one to stand and fight for them. They were the outsiders and were thrown anyway they could in the government. Booker T. Washington in the 19th century said they had to stand for what they believe. He rather than work on “self-improvement rather than long range social change (Brinkley).”
Throughout the antebellum period of the newly founded United States, Americans saw a great need for change in society and sought options for reform that would better individuals as well as society as an entirety. There was a constant desire to change America and those ideals and values strongly impacted what America represents and is known for in today’s society. Specific examples given in the Jill Lepore reading “A is for American” and the Harriet Jacobs novel “Incidents of a Slave Girl”, such as communication and the institutions of slavery played significant roles in the reformation of American society as well as social reforms that were put into place for the betterment of society. The citizens of America at the time were focused on trying to promote individualism and the overall improvement of society.
Mental Illness in the 1800's: something needed to be done If you had a mental illness in the 1800's you'd be put into an asylum which usually had horrible conditions. Thanks to Dorothea Dix that is not how we treat mentally ill people today. Dorothea Dix reformed society by showing the gov. how people were treated in these asylums and wanted to make the conditions better by, for example putting in libraries.