Summary Of Killing For Coal By Thomas G. Andrews

Ninoska Suarez
History 601
Professor Nierick
10/20/14
Killing For Coal By Thomas G. Andrews
Summary:
Killing for Coal discusses the conditions in the Colorado coal mines leading up to the Ludlow Massacre and the Ten Day War of 1914. Andrew draws out the major players in the Colorado coal culture including land, labor, capitalized industrialization and labor resistance that give us an overall depiction of the world of coal mining in Colorado.
Andrews, begins with an introduction of the graphic images of coal miners being asphyxia and slaughter by militia men and strike breakers hired by Rockefeller-owed Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, these events was later called Ludlow Massacre. These polarizing events produced coal miners to fight back which

A young William Palmer witnessed firsthand, the environmental damages inflicted by Britain industrial revolution. Palmer had a vision for Colorado as the hub of Western industrialization that promised a better society where business can thrive harmoniously with humans and the natural world. A dilemma arose when he realized that his vision for Colorado, railroad trains and mechanical missionary would destroy the country’s beautiful landscape. Andrews argues that Palmer’s had an inter struggle between profitability and ethical issues arising from the expanding and very expensive industrialization. One of the difficult situation was the working and living condition of the coal

The rail road and fossil fuels are the keys to Palmer’s vision for an industrialized Colorado. The increasing demand for energy from the populous tinkled up to business like Colorado Fuel and Iron Company to minimized cost. However, the side effects of bring the rail road and coal mining to the beautiful Colorado included destroying the landscape and polluting the living condition to citizens of Colorado. The growing cost of labor paved away to immigrant labor to enter into the coal mining industry instead of the experienced and more expensive colliers. With promises of riches and better living condition than in their respective countries, these immigrants began monopolizing the coal mining camps. However, the ever capitalist Colorado Fuel and Iron Company began reducing cost by exploiting the immigrant laborers and gaining the highest possible profits. These cost reducing changes began a spirit of unevenness to the coal miners that led them to establish