Between the period of 1875 and 1900, the attempts that organized labor unions invested in improving the position of workers brought menial success to the cause due to the numerous hindrances, most notable of which were violence, strikes, an air of pseudo-communism, and the government's money-hungry tendency to favor the management of big corporations over their employees. Large corporations during this time period essentially had a chokehold on economics and politics in the US. It was clear that the laborer's voice was not heard unless it was heard in multitude and even then, any forms of worker rebellion were dealt with quickly and harshly. Rebellion of any kind was rare due to the stiff competition for jobs, and most laborers feared unemployment too much to complain about wages. Document A represents just how much the worker's voice was heard over a 15 year span, as one can see that the number of hours was reduced negligibly, which nicely complemented an insignificant increase in wages. It was the way large corporations received their employee's grievances that ultimately led to violent outbreak. Document B refers to a strike that occurred in 1877 against a railroad company. Interestingly, the document condemns the strike as rash and hopeless. This condemnation is representative of the fact that newspapers and documents of a similar nature often shared the views of the large corporation. Seldom did one read any articles being authored from the perspective of the oppressed laborer. .
This time period was also filled with an air of communism, dreaded by laborers and embraced by factory owners. Document C displays the most influential propaganda of the lot. The picture shows an employee staring at a deceased goose with the word "capital" on it. This shows how the communist (oppressive factory owners & the owners of large corporations) manipulates the worker to destroy capitalism.
