The Quest for the Eight-Hour Workday:
Chicago “Anarchists” on Trial
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534.
Courtesy
of the
Jon Pereiro
Cascade High School
Summer 2009
Overview/ Materials/Historical
Background/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
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Objectives |
Students will be able to: · Verbally explain the issues surrounding the early labor movement in Chicago and the United States. · Identify how public opinions drove the thoughts of many people during the time period by using newspaper excerpts. · Analyze Spies et al. trial transcripts and evidence in order to participate in a mock trial. · Assess the fairness of the Spies et al. trial. |
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Recommended time frame |
1–2 Days |
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Grade level |
Secondary |
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Curriculum fit |
American History |
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· Lecture Notes · Projector Attached to Computer/Speakers · Printouts: Each 1 per student · Printout of testimony of M.M. Thompson · Printout of testimony of H.L. Gilmer #1 · Printout of testimony of H.L. Gilmer #2 · Printout of testimony of Samuel Fielden · Printout of testimony of Carter Harrison · Printout of testimony of August Spies · Printout of Mass Meeting Circular #1 · Printout of Mass Meeting Circular #2 · Printout of Testimony Analysis Table |
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Western
Dubuque School District Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar |
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Standard #3: Knows different
types of primary and secondary sources and the motives, interests, and bias expressed
in them (eyewitness accounts, letters, diaries, artifacts, photos, magazine
articles, newspaper accounts, hearsay). 3.1- Compare and evaluate the impact of stereotyping, conformity, acts of altruism, and other behaviors on individuals and groups. 3.2- Analyze and evaluate conditions, actions, and motivations that contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among nations. Standard #4: Understands how
U.S. History is interconnected to all other aspects of Social Studies (Government,
Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Geography & Current Events). 4. 1- Describe relationships among various economic institutions that comprise economic systems such as households, business firms, banks, government agencies, labor unions, and corporations.
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Day One: ·
As
this will be the first time students will be exposed to labor history, it will
be important to begin the lesson with a discussion of what kind of jobs the
students have. The discussions will be
geared toward answering the question “Why are things the way they are?” Possible discussion topics include: o How many hours do students work a
week? How many hours in a day? What is
the maximum hour limit within a week?
How old do you have to be to work?
What happens if you get hurt at work?
What is the minimum amount you can get paid in America/Iowa? o Why do you think these limits are in
place? Have they always been in
place? What are some advantages and
disadvantages to having laws such as these?
(For the business? For the
worker?) o Who do you think was the biggest opponent
of the creation of these labor laws?
Proponent? ·
After
this discussion, a brief public
service announcement from the ILO (International Labour
Organization) will be shown that illustrates the details behind an eight-hour
workday. ·
After
this clip, a lecture will ensue that deals with the atmosphere in America and
Chicago during the late 19th century. This lecture will be used to set the stage
for what the students will be examining later in the lesson. The important points will include: o May Day parade and strikes (1884) §
Anarchists/Socialists o McCormick Reaper Plant Incident (1886) o Haymarket Protest and “Riot” in response to
McCormick Incident (1886) o Chicago Newspaper coverage of the Haymarket
“Riot” o The Spies et al. Trial §
Who
was on trial? §
Prosecution
and Defense key players §
Who
was on the jury? §
Main
Points §
*Do
not inform the students of the verdict* ·
After
the lecture, the students will be briefly introduced to the “evidence” in the
trial (Sources 1–8). The students will
be told that in the next day’s class, they will assume the role of either the
prosecution or the defense. Their task
will be to formulate a closing statement for their respective clients. Day 2 ·
The
lesson will begin with the students being divided into 4 groups. (The number and size of groups may
vary.) One group will assume the role
of the prosecution, one group will assume the role of the defense, and two
groups will assume the role of the jury members. ·
After
the students are divided: o Every group will be instructed to review
the trial “evidence.” It will be very
important that the students are able to dissect the testimony and other
evidence. The testimony analysis
worksheet provided will greatly aid in student understanding. o The two groups of lawyers will be given the
rubric with which their closing arguments for the trial will be graded
on. These groups will work to gather
evidence for their case in order to present a compelling argument for the
jury. o It will be the jury’s responsibility to
issue a verdict by the end of class. The
verdict will be by majority vote in order to save time. In order to equalize work completed, the
jury will be assigned a two-page paper that discusses which way they cast
their vote, why they took that stance, and what evidence was most
influential. ·
After
closing arguments and the verdict by the jury, the class will end with a
lecture informing the students of what the actual verdict was and the history
of the appeals and eventual pardon of those convicted. The effect of the Haymarket Affair Incident
and the trial on the labor movement should also be covered extensively. |
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The learning experience will be evaluated in two different ways. The first and most basic will be a grade on the testimony analysis worksheet provided. The second will come from either a grade from a rubric for the groups who created and presented a closing argument, or a grade from a rubric for the jury essay. |
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As an extension activity, the students could be instructed to interview a union member from the community. Ask the individual what rights their union fights for, what the current conflicts are, and what the biggest benefit is that they receive from being a member of their union. (An easy source for interviews could be any teacher in the building.) |
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Political agitation by labor activists in the campaign to limit the
working day to eight hours for workers in factories became intense during times
of economic depression. In the spring of 1886, prior to May 4 (the day of the
Haymarket “riot”), mass meetings and rallies of several thousand people had
been held, and a barrage of literature in English, German, and other
languages encouraged confrontations and challenges to the police and the
government over labor conditions and the eight-hour movement.
On May 3rd, 1886, several striking workers were shot and severely
wounded outside of the McCormick Reaper plant on Chicago’s Southside. On May 4th, in response to the
violence at the McCormick plant, several of the better-known labor leaders and
anarchists addressed a crowd of sympathizers from the back of a wagon that had
been pulled into an alley near the Haymarket. August Spies, followed by Albert
Parsons, spoke for almost an hour denouncing the capitalist system and
quoting statistics, as he had on numerous other occasions.
By the end of the demonstration, many in the crowd had left. After the concluding address, more than 170
armed police marched into the area and ordered those assembled to
disperse. A dynamite bomb was thrown
into the crowd of policemen, and the police fired back. Panic followed. One police officer, Mathias J. Degan, was killed by the bomb; six additional officers were
wounded. A total of seven police
officers, as well as an unknown number of civilians, died in the confrontation.
In short order, a specially constituted grand jury indicted ten defendants,
most of whom were prominent labor organizers and activists, as accessories
before the fact to the murder of Officer Mathias Degan
by the bomb.
The “show” trial that commenced precluded any thoughts of due process and ended
with the conviction and execution of five of the six defendants.
In June of 1893, Governor John Peter Altgeld pardoned
the two remaining living defendants, Fielden and
Schwab, and issued a long statement of reasons for the pardons, criticizing the
due process procedures at trial in general and the prejudicial conduct of Judge
Gary at trial in particular. The act of pardoning the anarchists, and the
criticism of the judge and the manner of trial, were both highly unpopular. The
ruling destroyed Governor Altgeld’s prospects for
holding elected office in the future.
Resource Table: LOC Sources
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Image |
Description |
Citation |
URL |
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The transcript of the testimony of M.M. Thompson, a witness for the Prosecution. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Testimony of M.M. Thompson. |
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The transcript of the testimony of H.L. Gilmer, a witness for the Prosecution. This was Gilmer’s first appearance in the courtroom. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Testimony of H.L. Gilmer. |
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The transcript of the cross-examination of H.L. Gilmer, a witness for the Prosecution. This was Gilmer’s second appearance. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Testimony of H.L. Gilmer. |
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The transcript of the testimony of Samuel Fielden, witness for the Defense. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Testimony of Samuel Fielden. |
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The transcript of the testimony of Carter Harrison, mayor of Chicago. Harrison was a witness for the Defense. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Testimony of Carter Harrison. |
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The transcript of the testimony of August Spies, defendant in the case. Spies was a witness for the Defense. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Testimony of August Spies. |
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The guilty verdict as stated by the jury. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Guilty Verdict. |
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The circular distributed prior to August Spies revision. (Note the statement “workingmen arm yourselves…”) |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection,
ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Mass-Meeting Circular. |
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The circular distributed after revisions by August Spies. |
Haymarket Affair Digital Collection,
ICHi-09534. Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum. Mass-Meeting Circular. |
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CATEGORY |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 or less
|
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Speaks
Clearly |
Speaks clearly
and distinctly all (100–95%) the time, and mispronounces no words. |
Speaks clearly
and distinctly all (100–95%) the time, but mispronounces one word. |
Speaks clearly
and distinctly most (94–85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one
word. |
Often mumbles or
cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than one word. |
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Content |
Shows a full
understanding of the topic. |
Shows a good
understanding of the topic. |
Shows a good
understanding of parts of the topic. |
Does not seem to
understand the topic very well. |
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Posture and
Eye Contact |
Stands up
straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone
in the room during the presentation. |
Stands up
straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the
presentation. |
Sometimes stands
up straight and establishes eye contact. |
Slouches and/or
does not look at people during the presentation. |
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Comprehension
|
Student is able
to accurately answer almost all questions posed by classmates about the
topic. |
Student is able
to accurately answer most questions posed by classmates about the topic. |
Student is able
to accurately answer a few questions posed by classmates about the topic. |
Student is
unable to accurately answer questions posed by classmates about the topic. |
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Preparedness
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Student is
completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed. |
Student seems
pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals. |
The student is
somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking. |
Student does not
seem at all prepared to present. |
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CATEGORY |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 or less
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Introduction
(Organization) |
The introduction
is inviting, states the main topic, and previews the structure of the paper. |
The introduction
clearly states the main topic and previews the structure of the paper, but is
not particularly inviting to the reader. |
The introduction
states the main topic, but does not adequately preview the structure of the
paper nor is it particularly inviting to the reader. |
There is no
clear introduction of the main topic or structure of the paper. |
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Conclusion
(Organization) |
The conclusion
is strong and leaves the reader with a feeling that they understand what the
writer is “getting at.” |
The conclusion
is recognizable and ties up almost all the loose ends. |
The conclusion
is recognizable, but does not tie up several loose ends. |
There is no
clear conclusion; the paper just ends. |
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Accuracy of
Facts (Content) |
All supportive
facts are reported accurately. |
Almost all
supportive facts are reported accurately. |
Most supportive
facts are reported accurately. |
NO facts are
reported OR most are inaccurately reported. |
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Support for
Topic (Content) |
Relevant,
telling, quality details give the reader important information that goes
beyond the obvious or predictable. |
Supporting
details and information are relevant, but one key issue or portion of the
storyline is unsupported. |
Supporting
details and information are relevant, but several key issues or portions of
the storyline are unsupported. |
Supporting
details and information are typically unclear or not related to the topic. |
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Capitalization
& Punctuation (Conventions) |
Writer makes no
errors in capitalization or punctuation, so the paper is exceptionally easy
to read. |
Writer makes 1
or 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation, but the paper is still easy to
read. |
Writer makes a
few errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader’s
attention and interrupt the flow. |
Writer makes
several errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader’s
attention and greatly interrupt the flow. |
