Activity Two: The Pullman Company Town
Pullman, Illinois, appropriately named for its founder, was perceived by many
as a model factory town, famous for the beauty of its landscape and the amenities
provided to its residents. Pullman’s goal was to keep his workers happy
and morale high. However, according to historian H.W. Brands in The Reckless
Decade, "the reality of Pullman was something else. The company owned
all the land and buildings in the town; it was at once employer and landlord
for five thousand workers and their families…The green lawns and tree-shaded
gardens were for impressing visitors; workers lived in tenements much like those
found in ordinary industrial towns across the country." The Chicago Tribune
(1888) warned, "Pullman may appear to be all glitter and glory to the
casual visitor but there is a deep, dark background of discontent which it would
be idle to deny."
Students should read the following account of life in Pullman’s Company
Town and answer the questions that follow.
Documents:
Ely, Richard T. "Pullman: A Social Study." Harper's Magazine 70 (February
1885): 452-466.
http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/pullman.htm
Testimony of Frank W.T. Glover to the U.S. Strike Commission
Source: Chicago Public Library Collection
http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/hf/pullman_strike6.html
Questions:
- What did a typical Pullman home look like?
- What did it cost live in a Pullman home? How did this compare to rents for
homes outside the company town?
- What public buildings did Pullman provide for his workers?
- How does Ely describe the community as a whole in terms of its appearance
and architectural style?
- Why does Ely describe the ideal of Pullman as "un-American?"
- Do you detect any bias in Ely’s descriptions of life in Pullman’s
town?
- How would you describe the testimony of Frank W.T. Glover?
- What insight does Glover provide about housing in the Pullman Company Town?
Activity 3: The Pullman Strike
In response to the Panic of 1893, George Pullman lowered wages, eliminated jobs,
and increased the number of hours required of the workers at his factories. At
the same time, he refused to lower rents in his company town or prices in his
company store. A strike erupted when his employees walked off the job demanding
higher wages and better working conditions. This boycott grew in number of participants
and in severity and became one of the most serious labor revolts in American history
involving both the Pullman workers and eventually the American Railway Union led
by Eugene Debs. Railroad traffic was virtually paralyzed, and despite the advice
of Governor John P. Altgeld, President Grover Cleveland called in federal troops
to force the workers to return to their jobs
Documents:
Testimony of Jennie Curtis on August 16, 1894
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/1850/voices/
curtis/jennie.htm
Testimony of Theodore Rhodie (U.S. Strike Commission Report)
http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/hf/pullman_strike5.html
Testimony of Jane Addams from the U.S. Strike Commission Report
http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/hf/pullman_strike8.html
"For the Further Benefit of Our People" George Pullman Answers
His Strikers
http://www.historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5306/
Testimony of Nelson A. Miles from the U.S. Strike Commission Report
http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/hf/pullman_strike7.html
Frederick Remington’s sculpture of the striking workers
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6769
"Incidents of the Great Strike at Chicago, 1894
Source: Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly 1894
http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/hf/pullman_strike2.html
Excerpt from the autobiography of Frank A. Leach Recollections of a Newspaperman
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/riseind/
railroad /strike.html
Secondary Source: "Three Weeks that Shook the Nation & California’s
Capital"
By Edward H. Howes, Professor Emeritus, History Department, California State University,
Sacramento
http://www.californiahistorian.com/articles/pullman-strike.html
Questions:
- According to the testimony provided by the workers, what were the most important
causes of the Pullman Strike?
- How does Pullman justify his wage cuts and the rent charged in his company
town?
- Is there general agreement among workers regarding their experiences? Are
there any contradictions or inconsistencies?
- How did the actions of the troops impact the strike? What emotional responses
do the images create?
- Is violence ever justified as a means to an end? What other strategies could
be employed?
- What did the testimony of workers reveal about the role of the American
Railway Union in this conflict?
- What message did this strike and its outcome send to organized labor?
Extension Activities
- The Pullman Strike was a catalyst for the establishment of Labor Day as
a national holiday. President Grover Cleveland signed this into law in 1864,
an election year, to bolster his chances of winning the votes of labor. Students
can conduct research on the origins of this holiday and its impact on the
presidential election of 1894.
- Students might compare the innovations, techniques, and business strategies
of George Mortimer Pullman with other industrialists of the Gilded Age including
Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt.
- The Historic Pullman Landmark District in Chicago has been recognized by
the National Trust for Historic Preservation as part of its Restore America
initiative. Money has been awarded for the restoration and preservation of
this valuable historic landmark for residential use. According to Richard
Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, "The
historic and cultural resources of a community tell the story of its past
and make each community unique." Students should write an editorial
supporting the initiative to save this historic site or perhaps research a
site in their own community that would be worthy of preservation.
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