Hello can anyone help me with my history paper?
History 112/ Greeley
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAPER #1:THE PULLMAN STRIKE
WAS THE PULLMAN STRIKE JUSTIFIED?
In 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went out on strike. In a show of solidarity with the Pullman workers, members of the ARU (American Railway Union) across the country refused to move any trains with Pullman cars attached, turning a local strike into one of national significance. This conflict, one of many violent clashes between labor and capital, ultimately led to federal intervention and the deployment of US troops.
Your paper will consider a number of issues involved in this strike and in the larger struggle between organized labor and big business. The assigned reading for this assignment, The Age of Industrial Violence (posted in the readings file) contains two editorials about the strike that were written shortly after it took place (one by a prominent businessman and the other by a well-known labor leader) as well as a government report about the strike.
For this paper, you will be writing in the first person-- as if you were a laborer OR a businessman, and it was 1894, shortly after the strike – and developing an argument as to whether or not the strike was justified.
PAPER REQUIREMENTS: Your debate papers should be approximately four pages long (typed and double spaced), and should be in essay form (it should not simply be an outline or list of bullet points). They should be written in the first person – as either a laborer or capitalist. Make sure that you clearly lay out the argument for your side and that you use evidence from the reading to support your points. Remember that arguments are intended to persuade, so make the strongest case that you can for your side, while also pointing out any flaws or weaknesses that you find in the argument made by the other side. Some specific issues to consider when writing your paper and preparing for the oral debate are listed below.
POINTS TO CONSIDER -- in your paper.
Was the Strike Justified?
Were the Pullman workers’ demands reasonable?
Did they voice their grievances appropriately?
Did they have a right to join a union?
Did Pullman attempt to deal fairly with the workers?
Was the involvement of the ARU appropriate and justified?
Who/what was Responsible for the Violence?
The role of Pullman/Manufacturers Association
The role of the Government
The role of the Strikers
The Role of the Federal Government in Labor Disputes?
Were the actions taken by the federal government appropriate?
What role should the government play in labor disputes/ how can it best serve the public good?
What Do Employers and Employees Owe each Other?
Do workers have a right to a living wage?
Do employers have a right to maximize profits?
Do workers have a right to organize & bargain collectively for higher wages/benefits?
