The Pullman Strike and the Labor Movement In American History
George Pullman he was born and raised in Portland, New York. He was a cabinet maker but had bigger dreams. In 1825 they needed contractors to move sheds and houses so they could widen the Erie Canal. George Pull man hired a strong crew and this came his first profession and prompt him to move to Chicago. Chicago was a factory and shipping town.
George Pullman had to travel often with his job. The overnight trains were very uncomfortable. On one trip Pullman came up with an idea of building a train car with seats that converted into beds for a more comfortable ride. In 1858 Pullman bought two passenger cars. Putting his cabinet making experience to work, he designed and patented his bed-converting device. The railroad companies showed little interest in his cars. With this he then decided that the beds weren’t the only thing wrong with the cars. So he built from scratch a new passenger car bigger and better then any of them out there and called it the “Pioneer”. His break came in 1865 when President Arbram Lincoln was assassin. His body had to go from Springfield, IL to Washington, DC and his family choose the Pullman’s Pioneer.
Pullman would not sell his cars to the railroads he would only lease them. With the money he was making Pullman bought 3,000 acres, eleven miles south of Chicago. He built a factory and hired fifteen hundred laborers. He also built a hotel, offices and hundreds of houses. It was called Pullman, Illinois. He built a village for just his worker out side of town so the tourist could not see the workers. The houses in town were beautiful but the village for his workers was not.
In the late 1800 unions were formed and trouble started with a lot of large compies including Pullmans. A man named Eugene Debs was a union officer. Mr. Debs wanted to organize all railroad workers into a single union. In 1893 he organized the “American Railway Union”.
Trouble begin in Pullman city. When his workers were encouraged to join the union. As word was getting out that Pullman was charging his employees to much for housing and utilities.
The depression caused a decrease in sleeping cars which lead to Pullman decreasing the factory workers by 25%. He then cut the wages but did not reduce there rent or expenses. Worker were only getting paychecks for .07 cents after rent was taken out. Around 1893 things got even worse. More people were laid off and wages cut again. In 1894 the workers formed a committee to try to talk to Mr. Pullman. But Pullman would not listen to them. Mr. Debs said a walk-out or strike would make him make him listen. They walked out on May 11, 1894 at 10:30 a.m. The nation seemed to favor them due to the village that the world was seeing for the first time.
Jane Addams was a important person. She was a person between the rich and poor communities. The poor people respected her for trying to help them. She tried to make peace between Pullman and his workers but Ms. Addams got very upset with Mr. Pullman because he had no reactions to the staving children and adults and wouldn’t listen to her.
The walk-out of Pullman’s workers went into a nation wide boycott. Over 150,000 workers across the nation walked out which included fireman, brakemen, engineers and labors. The Paper head lines were “Not a Wheel turns in the West”. The federal government got involved because no mail was being delivered so the US General called in U.S. Army. No one could stop a mail train so Pullman attached his cars to the mail cars. Fourth of July is a time of celebration but it was the first day of blood when shots were fired.
George Pullman he was born and raised in Portland, New York. He was a cabinet maker but had bigger dreams. In 1825 they needed contractors to move sheds and houses so they could widen the Erie Canal. George Pull man hired a strong crew and this came his first profession and prompt him to move to Chicago. Chicago was a factory and shipping town.
George Pullman had to travel often with his job. The overnight trains were very uncomfortable. On one trip Pullman came up with an idea of building a train car with seats that converted into beds for a more comfortable ride. In 1858 Pullman bought two passenger cars. Putting his cabinet making experience to work, he designed and patented his bed-converting device. The railroad companies showed little interest in his cars. With this he then decided that the beds weren’t the only thing wrong with the cars. So he built from scratch a new passenger car bigger and better then any of them out there and called it the “Pioneer”. His break came in 1865 when President Arbram Lincoln was assassin. His body had to go from Springfield, IL to Washington, DC and his family choose the Pullman’s Pioneer.
Pullman would not sell his cars to the railroads he would only lease them. With the money he was making Pullman bought 3,000 acres, eleven miles south of Chicago. He built a factory and hired fifteen hundred laborers. He also built a hotel, offices and hundreds of houses. It was called Pullman, Illinois. He built a village for just his worker out side of town so the tourist could not see the workers. The houses in town were beautiful but the village for his workers was not.
In the late 1800 unions were formed and trouble started with a lot of large compies including Pullmans. A man named Eugene Debs was a union officer. Mr. Debs wanted to organize all railroad workers into a single union. In 1893 he organized the “American Railway Union”.
Trouble begin in Pullman city. When his workers were encouraged to join the union. As word was getting out that Pullman was charging his employees to much for housing and utilities.
The depression caused a decrease in sleeping cars which lead to Pullman decreasing the factory workers by 25%. He then cut the wages but did not reduce there rent or expenses. Worker were only getting paychecks for .07 cents after rent was taken out. Around 1893 things got even worse. More people were laid off and wages cut again. In 1894 the workers formed a committee to try to talk to Mr. Pullman. But Pullman would not listen to them. Mr. Debs said a walk-out or strike would make him make him listen. They walked out on May 11, 1894 at 10:30 a.m. The nation seemed to favor them due to the village that the world was seeing for the first time.
Jane Addams was a important person. She was a person between the rich and poor communities. The poor people respected her for trying to help them. She tried to make peace between Pullman and his workers but Ms. Addams got very upset with Mr. Pullman because he had no reactions to the staving children and adults and wouldn’t listen to her.
The walk-out of Pullman’s workers went into a nation wide boycott. Over 150,000 workers across the nation walked out which included fireman, brakemen, engineers and labors. The Paper head lines were “Not a Wheel turns in the West”. The federal government got involved because no mail was being delivered so the US General called in U.S. Army. No one could stop a mail train so Pullman attached his cars to the mail cars. Fourth of July is a time of celebration but it was the first day of blood when shots were fired.
People believed the Pullman strike was a tragic defeat for the American labor movements. When it was over, really nothing changed. Same wages, rent and the workers had to sign papers that they wouldn’t join a union to go back to work for Pullman. Mr. Debs had to serve six months in jail for delaying the mail as they blame the union leader for this strike. Jane Addams won the Noble Peace Prize for all the good she did. George Pullman died in 1897, three years after the strike. Pullman family was afraid that angry workers would dig him up so his funeral was held in private at night. His grave was much bigger and concrete was poured over it. Mr. Robert Judd took over the Pullman’s business which was the son of Abraham Lincoln. The business continued for a long time.
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