TOPIC: The economy and labor market of the United States underwent massive changes in the late 1800s. In the industrial north, a growing number of men, women, and children of different racial, ethnic, and occupational backgrounds became wage laborers. In the agricultural south, many formerly enslaved workers also became wage laborers working for wealthy landowners and employers. One of the major issues in this time period was the conflict between these workers and their employers, the struggle between labor and capital. What were some of the social and economic conditions that enabled workers to, at times, unite with one another to pursue common goals? What were some of the major unions and/or political organizations formed by workers to improve their jobs in the late 1800s? How did employers resist these efforts, and in what ways did government officials sometimes intervene to assist them against workers?
