Document A shows the rise in the workforce in response to the available labor positions. A possible explanation lies in the construction of the United States railroad system. In order to construct the railroad, thousands of unskilled workers were needed. The railroad construction also leads to a need for factory workers in the steel industry. Document B details the Chinese Exclusion Act. This related back to the booming railroad production as well. Chinese immigrants were used to construct the railroad because they were desperate and would work for cheap wages. …show more content…
The Knights of Labor constitution states that the union accepted everyone, regardless of race or skill. Many saw this as a big step for the working class. There was finally a way to protest by the masses. The Knights of Labor set a precedent for labor unions in the future. Document I illustrates the haymarket riot and why citizens revolted in the first place. In short, people were completely disgusted by the corruptio that so so very common in industries as well as the government. The Haymarket riot’s events shed a negative light on labor unions because of the violence. It was in response to this that people began shying away from unions in fear of being involved with crimes and being