History & Labor

History of Labor and Work in the United States, 1880–1945

Midterm

This midterm has two parts: five short-answer questions (10 points each) and one essay (50 points). Your midterm exam will be graded on the basis of the thoroughness of your answers––in other words, on how well you are able to synthesize all of the most relevant information from the course readings (additional readings and textbook). Your exam will not be graded on the basis of grammar, style, or spelling. Please do not use quotations (i.e., you should paraphrase). Please do not use citations.

Short-Answer Questions

Write one paragraph (100-200 words) about each term below, synthesizing all of the most relevant information from the course readings, which includes only the additional readings and the textbook.

1) Ida B. Wells

2) Mother Jones

3) Wong Hau-Hon

4) Andrew Carnegie

5) Samuel Gompers

Essay Question

Write an essay in response to the questions below, synthesizing all of the most relevant information from the course readings, which includes only the additional readings and the textbook. Each subquestion should be treated in a separate paragraph (100-200 words each). If you would like, you may also provide a short (1-3 sentence) introductory paragraph that offers a "roadmap" for the essay, as well as a brief (1-2 sentence) conclusion paragraph, although these are not required.

1) Why was there so much worker radicalism, militancy, and strike activity in the Paterson, NJ silk industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s? What were the goals of the IWW members (the strikers) in the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike? Who were some of the important allies of the strikers? Why did the strikers and their allies create and perform a pageant in Madison Square Garden? Why did the strike ultimately fail?