Name: Nguyen Hoang Hung

Class: 11BSM4

Itec ID: 1158048

Course: Western Civilization.

Assignment: Final essay

Tile: THE HISTORY OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Tuesday, 20th,August, 2013

The History of the Labor Movement

Capitalism was first appeared and developed, society was divided into two new forces,

conflicting interests in terms of: bourgeoisie and proletariat. Bourgeoisie formed including all

workshop, factory owners, shippers’ wholesale planters ... Proletarian rooted in people losing

land to leave their homeland to find a way to live in urban, employed in the factories, mills.

Many urban craftsmen became bankrupt workers. The proletariat was absolutely no means of

production, based solely on the employee to live. As a result of the industrial revolution, the

proletariat was born from the second half of the eighteenth century, first in England, the mid-

nineteenth century and gradually formed strong in many European countries and North America.

We can see that in the capitalist factory, workers had to work very hard but got very low wages.

Otherwise, factorys used the machine in industry and workers were living in threatened with job

loss. That was the reason promoting proletariat struggle against the bourgeoisie. At first, because

of limited awareness of some people, who believed that machinery was the cause of their

suffering. Thus, working class smashed machines and burned factories that spontaneously forms

the first war of the proletariat. Typical example: “Mar 11, Ned Ludd led a group of workers in a

wild protest against mechanization. Members of the organized bands of craftsmen who rioted

against automation in 19th century England were known as Luddites and also "Ludds." The

movement, reputedly named after Ned Ludd, began near Nottingham as craftsman destroyed

textile machinery that was eliminating their jobs. By the following year, Luddites were active in

Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Leicestershire. Although the Luddites opposed violence

towards people (a position which allowed for a modicum of public support), government

crackdowns included mass shootings, hangings and deportation to the colonies. It took 14,000

British soldiers to quell the rebellion”.1

However, through many experiences of failure and the growth of consciousness, the labor

movement of workers increasingly advanced and organized to form a strike demanding higher

wages, shorter hours, and the establishment of trade unions. In the 20-30 years of the nineteenth

century, the labor movement increasingly crowded European countries, the struggle for

economic rights and politics. In France, in 1831, workers were heavy exploitation and life too

difficult, so textile workers of Lyon uprising demanding higher wages and shorter hours. The

uprising had mastered the city in 10 days. In 1984, the silk mill workers in Lyon uprising

demanding the setting up of the republic. The fierce struggle took place during 4 days, finally

extinguished. Like France, in England, during the years 1836-1848, a large working class

organized took place. They went to meetings, made recommendations autographed workers

crowded into Parliament, demanding higher wages and shorter hours for workers. In spite of

suppressed, it was the labor movement with clear political objectives and the generous response

of the masses. Similar to England and France, in Germany, the lives of workers and craftsmen

were also destitute. In 1844, textile workers in Silésie the uprising and destroying buildings.

Even though the uprising did not long maintenance, it was strong effect of the labor movement in

Germany latter.1 Timeline Labor. Retrieved August 20, 2013 , from http://www.timelines.ws/subjects/Labor.HTML

Inclusion, the struggle of the working class in Britain, France, and Germany failed because of

lack of proper leadership and no clear political line, but had marked the growth of workers;

facilitate the important for the introduction of scientific reasoning behind this.

In the early nineteenth century, capitalism was on the rise, on the one hand produces a product

volume and speed by the department of urbanization increased rapidly, otherwise this exposed its

limitations: Event ruthless exploitation of bourgeois to workers, the life of the workers were

ultra-low wage and poor working conditions, unemployment and other social ills became

increasingly popular. Therefore, crystal misery of the workers had an impact on the awareness,

thought by some people progress in of the bourgeois. They were aware of the shortcomings of

capitalist society, the desire to build a social system better, no private pension, and no

exploitation. For instance, “The French social philosopher and reformer Claude Henri de

Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon (1760-1825), was one of the founders of modern industrial

socialism and evolutionary sociology. Born in Paris to the poorer side of a prominent noble

family, he was commissioned into the army at 17, served 4 years (in the American Revolutionary

War, and then, on his return to Europe, tried a series of bold, though not particularly successful

commercial ventures before the French Revolution. During the Terror of 1793-1794 he was

imprisoned for a year and barely escaped execution, an experience that left him deeply opposed

to revolutionary violence. After his release, he obtained a sizable fortune by speculating in

confiscated properties, which he spent on a lavish Paris salon that attracted many intellectual and

government leaders. But his funds were soon exhausted, and he lived his remaining years in

constant financial difficulties. Starting in 1802 and extending through the chaotic years of

Napoleon's rule and the Bourbon restoration that followed, Saint-Simon developed a broad-

ranging program for the reorganization of Europe. Although rarely original, his writings are

distinguished by their fusion of Enlightenment ideals, the materialism of the rising bourgeoisie,

and an emphasis on spiritual unity typical of the Restoration era.”2

All in all, proletariat was created along with the bourgeoisie, and took formation of capitalism.

From the start these two classes had violent conflict, leading to the proletarian struggle against

bourgeoisie. In the early stages they struggled with at a start forms , smashed machinery because

they thought causes make things difficult for their, that were machines. At this time, working

class were not aware of its historical mission. The labor movement of the working class,

scientific socialism have been established that helped working class were aware of their historic

mission and the organized struggle.

2 1825 - Henri de Saint-Simon, The New Christianity. Retrieved August 20,2013, from https://web.duke.edu/secmod/primarytexts/saint-simon1825.html