Name: Terence Powderly
Birth Date: January 22, 1849
Birth Place: Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: Jane 24, 1924
Place of Death: Washington, D.C
I was the eleventh out of twelve children. Born from the Irish, I lived a difficult early life being vulnerable to disease due to my family's miserable financial state. Measles and the scarlet fever arose, and one of my ears was damaged. Perhaps the fact that one of my ears was damaged was a good thing, for there were things I wished not to hear throughout my leadership within the Knights of Labor. Speaking of the Knights of Labor, I was indeed the leader of the pro-labor organization, and was given the title of General Master Workman of the Knights of Labor. Prior to my experience with the Knights of Labor, I worked alongside the railroad, steel, and was elected as the mayor for Scranton, Pennsylvania. After my time with the Knights of Labor, I was the Commissioner of Conciliation in the Department of Labor and published my own autobiography.
Birth Date: January 22, 1849
Birth Place: Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: Jane 24, 1924
Place of Death: Washington, D.C
I was the eleventh out of twelve children. Born from the Irish, I lived a difficult early life being vulnerable to disease due to my family's miserable financial state. Measles and the scarlet fever arose, and one of my ears was damaged. Perhaps the fact that one of my ears was damaged was a good thing, for there were things I wished not to hear throughout my leadership within the Knights of Labor. Speaking of the Knights of Labor, I was indeed the leader of the pro-labor organization, and was given the title of General Master Workman of the Knights of Labor. Prior to my experience with the Knights of Labor, I worked alongside the railroad, steel, and was elected as the mayor for Scranton, Pennsylvania. After my time with the Knights of Labor, I was the Commissioner of Conciliation in the Department of Labor and published my own autobiography.
My views:
I favored the pro-labor point of view. Thus, I promoted the eight hour day as opposed to the autonomous eleven hour shifts. I also advocated the idea of fair pay and Sunday being a day without work, for it is the Sabbath.
"When the bodies of men are abused, overworked and starved until a stage in human development is reached, where the brute takes the place of the man, spirituality is dwarfed if not killed, and the fines, noblest attributes of the human soul are stifled. It was that stifling process I had to deal with, and I came more directly and intimately in contact with it than did any of my critics. I came to believe, and was warranted in that belief by my observation and experience with the employers of labor, that they did not think about or care whether a worker had a should so long as he could grind on which the exploiter could realize a profit." (Primary Source)
With my words it is evident that I care passionately about the working class. As I mentioned, I myself had to persevere through the hardships that all workers faced in my day. My past with the railroads and steel production provide proof! Not only does work visually appear to feel physically grueling, but it mentally and emotionally breaks one down to a pulp. A man can be physically strong. A man can be as intelligent as Thomas Edison. A man can possess the integrity of the prestigious Ben Franklin. But the labor in this time dwarfs all of these attributes.
I favored the pro-labor point of view. Thus, I promoted the eight hour day as opposed to the autonomous eleven hour shifts. I also advocated the idea of fair pay and Sunday being a day without work, for it is the Sabbath.
"When the bodies of men are abused, overworked and starved until a stage in human development is reached, where the brute takes the place of the man, spirituality is dwarfed if not killed, and the fines, noblest attributes of the human soul are stifled. It was that stifling process I had to deal with, and I came more directly and intimately in contact with it than did any of my critics. I came to believe, and was warranted in that belief by my observation and experience with the employers of labor, that they did not think about or care whether a worker had a should so long as he could grind on which the exploiter could realize a profit." (Primary Source)
With my words it is evident that I care passionately about the working class. As I mentioned, I myself had to persevere through the hardships that all workers faced in my day. My past with the railroads and steel production provide proof! Not only does work visually appear to feel physically grueling, but it mentally and emotionally breaks one down to a pulp. A man can be physically strong. A man can be as intelligent as Thomas Edison. A man can possess the integrity of the prestigious Ben Franklin. But the labor in this time dwarfs all of these attributes.
Connection to the 21st century
02/04/2015 - The American Postal Workers Union announced today that the 200,000–member organization will “vigorously oppose” the merger between Staples and Office Depot. “We will urge the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to block this monopolistic and unlawful merger now, just as they did 17 years ago,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “And we call on Congress to weigh in with the FTC and the Department of Justice to stop it. “A Staples takeover of Office Depot would lead to higher prices for consumers and store closings that would affect employees and customers alike,” Dimondstein said. “There are new grounds to block this combination as well,” he added.
I started the Knights of labor to make better lives for the people around me and the people working for companys for little money. I can see that it still is happing today and it has created a better life for many.
Bib
http://www.biography.com/people/terence-powderly-9445584 - This source gave information about Terence Powderly's biography.
http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Powderly__Terence.html - This source gave information about Powderly's life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tRp-zRUJs&list=PLyfWNIYioWgM4hfPRdroBQHydMGplkPaR - This source provided me with a video relevant to the topic.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/473212/Terence-V-Powderly - This source gave me information about Powderly.
http://www.biography.com/people/terence-powderly-9445584 - This source gave information about Terence Powderly's biography.
http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Powderly__Terence.html - This source gave information about Powderly's life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tRp-zRUJs&list=PLyfWNIYioWgM4hfPRdroBQHydMGplkPaR - This source provided me with a video relevant to the topic.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/473212/Terence-V-Powderly - This source gave me information about Powderly.