Q? To what extent were Gilded Age strikes successful?

Successful- Several unions had influence on business management. The Knights of Labor, which obtained over 700,000 members in 1886, was founded by Uriah S. Stephens. The Knights of Labor focused on making an 8-hour workday a law across the country. The Knights also tried to make legislation outlawing child labor and convict labor. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) headed by Samuel Gompers was successful in bringing together many different craft unions. By 1890, the AFL had passed the Nights of Labor in the number of members it had. The AFL focused more on labor specific issues such as work hours, wages and working conditions. The AFL was remarkably successful and continued until 1955. These unions helped pave the way for the U.S. Government to pass legislation in favor of workers.

Unsuccessful-Most strikes failed to improve conditions for the workers. Nearly all of the major strikes were violent or ended violently. Many strikers were fired or laid off for their actions. Their bosses often called in Pinkerton Detectives to break up protests and get the strikers back to work. On several occasions the Federal government sent soldiers in to counter the strikes. Child labor continued as bad as ever. In 1880, one out of every six children in the U.S. was working full time.