United States 1833

Synopsis

From 1800 to 1840 dramatic changes occurred within the U.S. economy primarily in response to the Industrial Revolution. Thousands of skilled craftsmen and artisans, the bulk of nonfarm workers before the nineteenth century, were increasingly unemployed (or were given reduced wages) as industries became larger and more mechanized and used more unskilled and semiskilled workers. As factories became larger, employers became more detached from their greater numbers of employees. Employers, as a result, became less concerned with the individual worker. Because large-scale production of goods reduced the need for skilled artisans and craftsmen, these men joined unions so as to preserve their heritage and to join together to fight for their common good. As a result, trade union interest grew in popularity during this time.

The General Trades' Union formed in New York City in 1833 with the purpose of uniting...