AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Labor Conflict in the Early Republic (Day 93/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of Labor Conflict in the Early Republic in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

The Old Slater Mill, National Park Service

While there was some collective resistance by laborers in the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution led to a rise in labor conflict in the early 1800s.

Winslow Homer, Bobbin Girl, University of Massachusetts Lowell

The emergence of the factory system often exploited workers and subjected them to long hours and harsh conditions in order to maximize profits.

The header for the newspaper "The Voice of Industry," published by the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association for a time in Lowell, MA. National Park Service

Industrial workers began to form labor unions, such as the National Trades Union and the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association to demand better wages, shorter working hours, and improved conditions.

1834 broadside by striking female mill workers in Lowell, Massachusetts, Boston Rare Maps

While work stoppages and strikes would become more common in the late 19th century, they did occur in the early republic as well. For example, Black caulkers went on strike at the Washington Navy Yard in 1835 and several strikes by the Lowell Mill Girls occurred throughout the 1830s and 1840s.

With more people shifting from agriculture to industrial work, conflict between workers and management increased. Early efforts at collective action including the formation of unions and use of strikes emerged.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Cult of Domesticity in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!