The Labor Problem: Carnegie, Powderly, and Gompers The Age of Industrialization, which lasted from 1865-1900, was a period in American history characterized by unprecedented economic growth, consolidation, panic, depression, and political corruption, along with an ever widening gap between rich and poor, all of which culminated in volatile societal tensions. The notion that American democracy had been warped from a government that represented the interests of the majority, comprised of the working class, to one that represented the interests of a minority, the wealthy industrial leaders became commonplace. As a result, the working classes, both rural and urban, began to unionize in order to self-advocate for safety regulations and higher wages, among other things. Unions were treated with open hostility by corporations and even the government. Protests, strikes, and other demonstrations frequently escalated into violent conflict between workers and…show more content… Social tensions did not subside with time and so the question became how to solve the problem of social discord. Terence Powderly and Samuel Gompers, both leaders of prominent labor organizations, presented two distinct solutions to the labor problem in their writings from the perspective of a member of the working class. Andrew Carnegie, an incredibly wealthy industrialist, proposed his own solution that contrasts powerfully with both Gompers and Powderly as he writes from the perspective of a man who has benefited enormously from the economic and political environment. Although similarities can be found in how all three writers view the problems confronting industrial workers and the subsequent solutions, Carnegie’s and Gompers’ ideas were more compatible with each other, as both ultimately wished to merely tinker with the established economic and governmental systems; Powderly’s solution on the other hand proposed a complete transformation of the American economic
