Plight of Worker during the Industrial Revolution: A Paradigm Shift from Agriculture to Industry

During the period of time between 1865 and 1900, the United States was going through a difficult time. The country had just come out of a war and, at the same time, was making an attempt to industrialize. The plight of laborers during this time was a terrible one. Not only were the working conditions atrocious, the workers' salaries were meager, and they had no benefits or retirement options. The Civil War had created many jobs for …

…time to aid the workers in their plight. Perhaps the most famous were the Knights of Labor. The ideals that this group strove for are some of the same things we are still fighting for today. Things such as equal pay for men and women, the abolition of child labor, and safety codes for factories. Although the changes were not immediate, there was a gradual change for the better for the plight of the workers.