American Labor Movement

Before 1900 people worked long hours for low wages. They were laws to protect the workers, but not good enough to protect the working conditions. The labor movement then began as people started to cooperate to improve their work conditions. They created labor unions to help workers get organized for their rights. Unions faced difficult battles. Workers died while trying to achieve their rights. Labor movement, as an author says, is the last noble protest of the American people against the power of incorporated wealth. Joe Hill was known for making songs that talk about the feelings of workers and his opinions about the whole society. Joe Hill also was one of the workers who suffered and did not have the rights to speak out loud. His song ‘I thought I heard Joe Hill last night’ is a song about someone who saw Joe Hill in his dream. The person could not really believe that he saw him because Joe Hill got killed. Joe Hill then says in the dream that he would never die. This song actually explains us that even though Joe Hill is not present physically, he is still alive in the hearts of the workers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Kxq9uFDes&feature=player_embedded#at=20

People during the time of the American Labor Movement, needed someone or something to give them power and strength. When songs came up, workers created a big motivation to continue fighting for their rights. Joe Glazer explains us that music was the key thing to bring workers together. In other words, he said that music is a great weapon in the battle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaQ7qWo6120&feature=player_embedded
The article “Industrial and the Rise of Labor Music” has some great examples. The article says that songs, like some of Joe Hill’s songs called for direct action on the part of the laboring masses.

As I said earlier, songs gave people motivation and the strength to achieve their goals. The songs are still important for us today because they remind us how people suffered and what kind of big changes the American Labor Movement created. One of the songs is the one from Utah Phillips called “Pie in the sky.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhhzElzTZJw