Answer to Question #143532 in History for Chris Maybell

Question

Describe solutions that indicate different directions events could have taken in the cases of the Homestead and the Pullman strikes.

Answer 1

Labor strike is a work stoppage caused by employees who refuse to work. Labor strikes happened a lot during industrialization when mass labor became important in factories. Laborers who were unsatisfied with their working conditions or wages, might go on strikes to pressure the companies to change the policies. Two major labor strikes were the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike. Homestead Strike happened in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The workers from Carnegie mills went on strike because Andrew Carnegie, the head of the Carnegie Steel Company, refused to increase the wages. Carnegie hired Pinkerton’s men to escort scabs into the mill. An armed battle erupted between Pinkertens and workers. The strike ended in defeat for the workers. The Pullman Strike was a disturbing event in Illinois history. It occurred because of the way George Mortimer Pullman, founder and president of the Pullman Palace Car Company, treated his workers.