Political Science

Labor movements have increasingly experienced great evolution and have come to be shaped by major economical and social factors both playing a role in the revamping of the labor industry.  In history, especially in the pre-depression era, labor movements saw the passing of a law that perpetually prohibited the importation of slaves which was perceived as the first step in mitigating the widespread of such a great moral and political evil. It was also perceived as the first leap in the emancipation of human race.

The need for liberty filled the political air for the first time after hundreds of years in the American colonial period (Nicholson, 29). Issues of freedom and the transformation of labor relations between the employers and the workers became the core objective among the leaders who wanted to transform their standing in the world. Therefore, the political, social and economic factors had great interaction in transforming labor in the United States in the pre-depression era.

Rebellion, popular protests and petitions led to the shedding of light into the concept of liberty and making liberty a top government agenda including New York. Government liberties were highly needed for the claiming of other rights and until the fundamental political liberty got achieved, there were no rights to the control of labor could be claimed. The right to control the workers labor could not be secured until fundamental political liberty was accomplished. There was an increased illegality of concerted labor action, slavery and indentured servitude. This was the situation for the workers relation with the employers in the colonial as well as early national period.

The new federal constitution and the independence led to the workers to celebrate and enthusiastically join parades in July 4th, 1788. Majority of apprentices, cities, masters and journeymen all marched in a spirit of unity with the merchants and the farmers (Nicholson, 43). This shows how the independence gain and the federal constitution impacted labor before the Great Depression. However, at the end of colonial period, the American workers did not constitute themselves with a self conscious group there was not even one single organization that was beyond fraternal capacity and that spoke on behalf of the workers.

Although the new constitution was a major blessing to all the American citizens, the impact was felt most among labor communities. The well known human endeavor in achieving responsive and non- arbitrary government power was the adoption of the Bill of Rights under the ten amendments in 1791(Nicholson, 43) as well as the checks and balances of the federal system.

The individuals who had limited wealth in the United States were most vulnerable to abuses of power. Nicholson identifies that after the adoption of the Bill of Rights, the Americans ever enjoyed the protection from arbitrary infringement on the privacy, press, speech and other privileges that came with the new government. This freedom made it possible for the formation of labor movements without fear of being victimized.

In the pre-depression time, the institution of slavery was accorded with greater protection from the law. The increased legal protection made several compromises in the claim of human rights of the slaves in some major aspects there was no action that was to be put against the crime of slave trade for more than twenty years after the ratification.  The federal government was accorded the authority in the protection of the slave trade which was rather a controversial authority.

In another scenario, labor was greatly affected by the control of new technologies that were adopted by capital owners or the employees. The workers got very discontent about this trend in the pre-depression period because the automation of most functions which led to the laying off of a number of workers. The labor movements rose to protect the members especially after the adoption of the Bill of Rights which gave the workers freedom of speech.

In basic terms, all that had to do with wealth in the United States was highly protected or had legal boundaries of institutions of authority. Because of the government legitimacy, paper money gained value as the landownership and corporate charters or bank offers became more restrictive (Nicholson, 43). Copyrights, protection of slavery institutions, the prohibition of rights of workers, children, women and immigrants were among the economical and social factors that had great impact on labor movements. These aspects were all codified by the state governments or federals.

Historians and economists have argued that the states and federals during the pre-depression period acted as agencies who were concerned in profit maximization in the government while on the other side, suppressing the workers (Nicholson, 43) and led to the formation of labor movements to protect the right rights of the workers. There was not even a small element to show that the state became a friend to labor. At last, labor movements came to be spread out in spite of the problems which the earlier workers encountered. These movements often utilized several overt techniques in the process of rebelling, resisting and escaping overexploitation by the employers and the states and federals.

A number of factors played an imperative role in impacting the relationship between labor and employers. These factors have seen great evolution in the way labor movements are conducted. Technological changes and economical impacts had a significant position in labor movements in the pre-depression period. In the modern trend, perspectives keep shifting on the need for human resource and human capital as automation of processes become feasible.