WW2 CIO Labor Organizer

World War Two created major labor shortages. The civilian work force increased by nearly 20 percent during the war; however, more workers were needed to produce industrial goods and ammunition. During this period, union membership also grew greatly. Almost 3 million people joined unions between 1941 and 1945. Consequently,these large unions began making demands on the government, including the guarantee that unions would thrive. Still, a labor organizer would have needed to rally more workers. Many women joined the work force during the war, since their husbands were fighting and they needed to secure an income. Labor organizers encouraged women to work in factories by making domestic analogies which would portray the jobs as simple. Posters representing the importance of female workers were also distributed. These propaganda techniques were effective, as women constituted one-third of paid workers in 1945.

Life During the Depression

During the Great Depression, many workers became unemployed. As a result, families turned to public relief systems and charities for assistance. However, these programs were relatively small scale and did not have a large enough budget to handle the demands placed on them. Consequently, long bread lines and soup kitchens sponsored by the Red Cross and the Salvation Army developed. Still, malnutrition became commonplace, and some people died from starvation.

However, people who lived in rural areas such as the Dust Bowl suffered the most during this period. Farmers collected little profit for their crops, since the prices were very low. This area experienced a drought which transformed farmland into desert. Dust storms that killed livestock and people accompanied the lack of rain. Hordes of grasshoppers destroyed all in their path, including crops. People in the Dust Bowl could not receive food provided by charity organizations, due to their isolated location. Farmers were eventually forced to leave their homes in search of work.

The Great Depression

One of the most important causes of the Great Depression was the maldistribution of wealth. During the late 1920s, industrial and agricultural production increased greatly. However, farmers and workers only received meager profits; thus they could not buy the produced goods. Consequently, the economy could not sustain a balance between demand and supply. Industries that experienced this drop in demand were forced to fire workers, so the purchasing power of Americans further diminished. Essentially, the maldistribution of wealth created a significant gap between the rich and the poor; the middle class, which majorly contributed to the economy, nearly disappeared. This economic disequilibrium resulted in the most severe recession in history.

Women's Suffrage

Prior to 1920, women did not have the legal right to vote, even though they were U.S. citizens. The Progressive movement attempted to solve this problem by creating the National American Woman Suffrage Association. This organization, supported by Jane Addams, argued that the special virtues women possessed could benefit society and politics. Suffragists also asserted that granting women the right to vote would strengthen the temperance movement and eliminate war. Furthermore, some middle-class people believed that educated women should be allowed to vote, since ignorant blacks and immigrants had suffrage. The Progressive movement succeeded, and by 1919, the majority of states had given women access to the franchise. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, which Constitutionally guaranteed women political rights.

Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie's life has become one of the most famous "rags- to- riches" tales in American history. Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835. After emigrating with his family to the U.S. at age 13, he worked in factories and became a messenger in a telegraph office. His skill in transcribing messages attracted the notice of a Pennsylvania Railroad official, who introduced him to the railroad industry. Carnegie soon found success in this business. However, during the Civil War he became interested in the iron and steel industries. After the war, Carnegie invested all his savings in what would become the first American steel mill; he consolidated the Homestead Steel Company as the Carnegie Steel Company. By using vertical integration, he controlled the steel mills, mines, and railroad enterprises. This company was greatly successful, and in 1901 Carnegie Steel Co. merged with the U.S. Steel Corporation after selling out to J.P. Morgan. This negotiation strategy resulted in Carnegie becoming the wealthiest man in the world. Government policies did not really affect Carnegie's businesses; the purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act was to destroy monopolies, but the measure was ineffective and evaded by corporations. Andrew Carnegie retired in 1901 from his businesses and became a philanthropist; he donated millions to charities and began over 2,800 libraries.

Western Myth vs. Reality

During the 1870s, the myth of the cowboy fueled Western romanticism and encouraged expansion. Cowboys were idealized as noble men who upheld the virtue of goodness. However, the lives of cattle herders were not pleasant. This job required more physical labor than actual heroic duels or gunfights. In the Western "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", the standoff starring Clint Eastwood is highly dramatized. He is portrayed as a valiant man defending his share of hidden Confederate gold. Again, the reality of being a poorly paid cowboy did not include searching for diversions in the form of buried gold or gunfights.

The reason this particular Western myth lives today is because it is a part of American culture. Towards the end of the 19th century, cities in the East were becoming increasingly industrial. Many people began to look to the West as an untouched land brimming with opportunity. Migration to the West grew because people were eager to begin their own enterprises. As a result, the "natural man", or cowboy, became a symbol of the better life people thought was available in this region.

A Northern Woman's Life during the Civil War

Day 1: President Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves living in the Confederacy. My husband and I are strongly opposed to slavery, but we hope this act doesn't create mass chaos.

Day 2: My husband, a doctor, has been drafted under national law. Although he's a doctor, he will be forced to fight in battle as well as treat wounded men. The Peace Democrats are already rioting in the streets.


Day 3: Since my husband is away, I must become a teacher to support myself. It's dangerous to live alone during war, so I am moving in with my relatives.


Day 4: I've just gotten news of the First Battle of Bull Run. To the surprise and dismay of everyone, the Union troops were forced to retreat. This war will not be easily won.


Day 5: The Union army came through Gettysburg last night. I could see their campfires from my house. This afternoon, Lee lost one-third of his army during Pickett's Charge. Union morale is up; the end is near.