LSP 110 - Discover Chicago

Fall 2011 - Chicago Labor History

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Assignments

Journal Entries

• Journal Entries for Immersion Week Visits (Due Date: October 4)
  Your journal entries constitute short writing assignments capturing your observations and reflections related to each of our site visits. Journals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
  

  • You must incorporate at least 4 field observations from our tours during Immersion Week.

  • In each case you should connect your observations to other material from readings, online resources, or your own research.

  • For each of the entries, in addition to a summary of your observations, you will try to answer the following questions:

    • (1) what were the conditions (social, political, economic, etc.) that led to the events taking place at the site?

    • (2) who were some of the significant players in the event and what were their roles?

    • (3) what was the significance of the events and their influence on the labor movement, the city of Chicago, the country, or the world?

  • Your entries must adhere to good writing style, spelling, organization, and grammar.

• Paper Proposal Journal Entry (Due Date: October 4)
  You must submit a proposal for your final paper (this can be in the form of an additional journal entry to be submitted on Oct. 5). The proposal should include a title for your topic, a one-page abstract for your paper, and an initial annotated bibliography (a list of references you will use and a 1-2 sentence description of each). Your specific topic may be related to one of the themes covered during the immersion week, or a more detailed analysis of some of the figures, events, or locations in Chicago labor history. However, your specific topic must fit within one of the general themes discussed below (see the section below on "Themes for Papers and Presentations." These general themes will determine your group for the purpose of final group presentations.
  

• Journal Entries for Guest Speakers (Due Date: The following week)
  You must submit a journal entry (1-2 typed double-spaced pages) for each of the guest presentations and topics covered in class. In each case you should write a summary of the main points made during the presentation and well as your own reflections on at least one question or issue that the topic raised. Your entry should reasonably connect the presentation and your own reflections to some of your reading (from the textbook and/or from some of the other class resources).
  

Final Paper (Due: Nov. 1) and Presentations

• The Final paper is due on November 1. Papers will be [10] pages in length, typed, double-spaced and must include a reference list.  Please see this website for what constitutes accepted style resources:
  •  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
• Group Presentations will be scheduled for the last class session (Nov. 1). Sometime after the submission of paper proposals on Oct. 4, the students will be divided into groups of 3-4 people based on the general paper themes (see below). Each group will be allotted 15 to 20 minutes for their presentation. All students in the group must participate in the development of the material and the delivery of the presentation. Each group must submit a on page report describing the role of all the members.

Themes for Papers and Presentations

Although you can choose the specific topic of your paper (e.g., focus on a significant individual, a specific group, a particular event or a series of events), your final paper should fit broadly within one of the following themes:

1. Industrialization and labor relations: The Industrial Revolution (mid 1800's through early 1900's) and the impact rapid industrialization had on social and economic relations in Chicago, including relationships between labor and capital, immigration patterns, etc. Some relevant topics, individuals, groups, and events include the following:
   • Impact of events such as the Civil War and the great Chicago fire on the development of Chicago.
   • Important events such as the Haymarket Affair, the Battle of the Viaduct, the railroad strike of 1877, or another similar event, including their context, what led to them and their legacy.
   • The history and significance of some of the great social movements of the time, such as the 8-hour-work-day campaigns.
   • Profiles of significant individuals involved in the events or campaigns of that era, including any of the individuals involved in Haymarket, Joe Hill and Bill Haywood and their work with IWW, other labor organizers such as A. Phillip Randolph, Mother Jones, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Eugene Debs, etc.
     
     
2. The political history of labor in Chicago: The impact of Chicago's industrialization and labor upheavals on the political movements both then and now. Topics fitting this general theme may include the following:
   • The formation of early unions and the politicization of workers, including the development of such organizations as IWW and various anarchist groups.
   • The landscape of political movements arising from Chicago's rapid development, during industrialization, including their histories, origins and significant actors.
• The political implications of building/creating labor unions, including lessons learned from various attempts at organizing and the organizations that arose from these efforts, including the Chicago Federation of Labor and others.
• Specific political figures and movements emerging from the labor movement, including (for example) the Pullman strike that eventually led to the creation of labor federations, figures such as Eugene Debs and the emergence of the Socialist Party in early 20th century, the emergence of CIO and political formations of labor during the 1930s' depression era, and so on.
  
  
3. Role of Women in Chicago Labor History: Examining the specific role of women, women's organizations, and the women's movement in the development of Chicago and it's labor history. Topics may include the following:
   • The role of women's organizations in the trade union movement, including the Women's Trade Union League and others.
   • The integration of women into various parts of the labor force resulting from industrialization, including clerical, domestic, and healthcare workers.
   • The impact of women's labor movement on the broader women's movement in Chicago and across the country, including the settlement movement leading to the creation of Hull House, and the women's suffrage movement.
   • The role of specific Women in Chicago labor history, including such figures as Jane Addams, Mary McDowell, Lucy Parsons, Mother Jones, Emma Goldman, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, or others.
     
     
4. Race, ethnicity, and immigration in Chicago labor history: Examining the development of Chicago as a city of immigrants and the role of race and ethnicity in it's labor history. Topics may include the following:
   • The evolution of the trade union movement in Chicago (and across the country) from the prism of racial divisions, including the use by owners of black labor from the south to break union drives or strikes, as well as the impact of racism in creating divisions within the labor movement.
   • Tracing the history and development of non-white trade unions and their historical impact, including (for example) the Union of Sleeping Car Porters and the leadership of A. Philip Randolph, the struggle of various unions for integration (e.g., local 208 Musician's Union), etc.
   • Tracing the roots and evolution of ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago and the role of various trends such as industrialization, gentrification, etc. play in shaping the various neighborhoods [For example, why does Pilsen, a primarily Mexican-American Community, have a Czech name?]. This topic may also include the role of immigrant labor in the development of Chicago as a city, including the contemporary immigrant rights issues.
     
     
5. Contemporary Issues of Chicago Labor Movement: Exploring one or more contemporary related to the labor movement and connecting them to the history of labor organizing in Chicago and in the U.S. Examples of topics that may be covered include the following:
   • Tracing the history of specific labor or political organizations from their inception to the current times, including organizations such as the Chicago Federation of Labor; IWW; Socialist, Communist, and other political parties connected to labor history.
   • Contemporary struggles for economic justice, labor reform, and labor organizing and how they relate to the rich history of labor movement, including (for example) recent campaigns for a Living Wage, for Employee Free Choice Act, against foreclosures, etc.
   • The new face of Chicago's immigrant working class and issues facing various Chicago communities, from gentrification to crime and punishment to community development. This could also include the role of art and culture as part of the life of communities (including for example, music, mural art, etc.).

General Note: The online resources provided on this Web site provide a rich set of sources for you to explore many of the topics mentioned above. You can also make use of general Web resources such as Wikipedia, Google, and other sources to aid in your research. Finally, the class textbook "Chicago: A Biography" by Domininc Pacyga has many valuable incites on the most of the above topics.