1. Students will examine primary sources to understand Pullman’s contributions to the railroad industry in the 19th century.
   
2. Students will identify the benefits and costs of living in Pullman’s company town.
   
3. Students will examine primary sources in order to understand the causes of the Pullman Strike of 1894.
   
4. Students will read the testimony of participants in the Pullman Strike to determine the strike’s impact on railroad workers and organized labor.

Motivation

To identify the technological innovations of the 19th century and understand George Pullman’s role in a larger historical context, one would have to look no further than the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893. This world’s fair provided an opportunity for people in the United States and the world to view the latest developments in agriculture, horticulture, art, electricity, machinery, and transportation. The fair lasted approximately six months and was visited by over 27,000,000 people from all corners of the world. According to Professor Paul Barrett from the Illinois Institute of Technology, "A century ago, every major city aspired to hold a major exposition-indeed every sizeable town hoped to be the scene of a county fair. But Chicago had special reasons to pursue the honor. Chicago was the economic center of the grain, meat and lumber trades of the west… The nation’s railroads had centered on Chicago since the 1850’s, and by 1890 Chicago was the nation’s second steel-making center and was a major player in virtually every phase of modern industry." Teachers can use the following sites in order to build student interest in the significant changes that occurred in the area of technology during the 19th century with a particular focus on Chicago.

Site map of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893
http://www.chicagohs.org/history/expo/map.html

Notable exhibits from the World’s Columbian Exposition
http://users.vnet.net/schulman/Columbian/exhibits.html#TOP
http://users.vnet.net/schulman/Columbian/columbian.html

A Digital Archive of American Architecture: Exposition Photographs
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1893fair.html

The Transportation Building at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 was designed by Louis Sullivan. It housed the "Santa Maria," a Pullman railroad car that cost more than $38,000 to build.
http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~hius202/images/lecture04/ transpexteriorexpo.html

1. How important was railroad travel to Americans in the 19th century?
2. What changes did Pullman make to improve travel on the rails?
3. Describe the parlor cars that Pullman designed.
4. Who do you think benefited from Pullman’s innovations? Who do you think was excluded from these opportunities?
5. What evidence is there in the New York Times article to indicate that Pullman was a shrewd businessman?
6. How does the reporter react to his experience in the Pullman sleeping car and dining car?
   

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:

1. What did a typical Pullman home look like?
2. What did it cost live in a Pullman home? How did this compare to rents for homes outside the company town?
3. What public buildings did Pullman provide for his workers?
4. How does Ely describe the community as a whole in terms of its appearance and architectural style?
5. Why does Ely describe the ideal of Pullman as "un-American?"
6. Do you detect any bias in Ely’s descriptions of life in Pullman’s town?
7. How would you describe the testimony of Frank W.T. Glover?
8. What insight does Glover provide about housing in the Pullman Company Town?

1. According to the testimony provided by the workers, what were the most important causes of the Pullman Strike?
2. How does Pullman justify his wage cuts and the rent charged in his company town?
3. Is there general agreement among workers regarding their experiences? Are there any contradictions or inconsistencies?
4. How did the actions of the troops impact the strike? What emotional responses do the images create?
5. Is violence ever justified as a means to an end? What other strategies could be employed?
6. What did the testimony of workers reveal about the role of the American Railway Union in this conflict?
7. What message did this strike and its outcome send to organized labor?

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.