Imagine you are an industrial worker sometime between 1880 and 1905 in america. Describe your life. Be sure to discuss both your work and your home life. What do you do for a living? What are your working conditions? Where (and how) do you live? What are your hopes and aspirations for yourself and your family? What reasons would you have for joining a union? Which union or labor organization of this period most appeals to you, and why? Would you join that union?
Sample Solution
I am an industrial worker living in America sometime between 1880 and 1905. I work in a factory, doing physical labor related to the production of goods. Working conditions are difficult; we don’t have access to modern safety equipment or other protections that would help prevent injury or illness on the job. We get paid very little for our labor and there is no guaranteed overtime pay. The hours are long, but sometimes not enough to make ends meet for my family.
My home life consists mostly of caring for my children (if any) and trying to provide them with basic necessities like food, clean water, clothing and shelter. Living standards were not particularly high during this period; most people lived in small homes without electricity or running water, so it was often difficult just to keep up with basic needs.
Sample Solution
I am an industrial worker living in America sometime between 1880 and 1905. I work in a factory, doing physical labor related to the production of goods. Working conditions are difficult; we don’t have access to modern safety equipment or other protections that would help prevent injury or illness on the job. We get paid very little for our labor and there is no guaranteed overtime pay. The hours are long, but sometimes not enough to make ends meet for my family.
My home life consists mostly of caring for my children (if any) and trying to provide them with basic necessities like food, clean water, clothing and shelter. Living standards were not particularly high during this period; most people lived in small homes without electricity or running water, so it was often difficult just to keep up with basic needs.
