industrializing America

[wesleyisit]

one major obstacles to the growth of unions during the late 1800s

[jno]

I imagine a constantly growing labour force, as immigration boomed, would make it easier to sack workers who wanted more pay and hire newcomers who didn't?

[paddywak]

As jno says the huge labour force made it easy for employers to get rid of trouble makers, plus several companies could be hired to "protect" strike breakers. The Pinkerton agency was particularly notorious for the methods it used to break strikes. The Molly Maguires an Irish dominated secret society in the Pennsylvannia coalfields was infiltrated a Pinkertons agent, and as a result over a perod of two years (1876-78) a large number of men were arrested, tried and executed for various crimes. While no doubt some of the men may have been guilty of some offences the majority of the men were convicted by the evidence of the Pinkerton, evidence that was that "dubious" that it seems likely the executed men will, if they haven't already been, posthumously pardoned