It is 1960. You are a historian writing the biography of a close associate to United Mine
Workers leader John L. Lewis. Instead of telling you his life story, however, he tells in detail how the lives of workers and organized labor in America has evolved over the past 80 years. From this you will write an essay in which you describe (with examples):
a) how and why the rise of Big Business affected factory workers (12 points)
b) the ways in which workers responded to these changes by forming unions/organizing strikes and evaluating why they succeeded and failed. (30 points)
c) how and why workers and organized labor were affected by:
• Progressive Era reforms (8 points)
• World War I and World War II and their immediate aftermaths (15 points)
• events in the 1930s (20 points)
• events in the 1950s. (10 points)
Writing Instructions:
1. The purpose of this essay is not for you to just provide a “laundry list” of facts, but for you to pursue some analysis into the events that have shaped American labor history – you must explain WHY things happen. Simply using quotes from the textbook and adding a few words IS NOT analysis.
2. This is a formal essay. I will be looking for a central thesis in your introduction, which you then develop in the multi-paragraph body of your paper. You must also have a formal conclusion that restates and summarizes your key points. The rubric below provides additional guidance, and as always you can ask me if you have questions.
3. THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH PAPER – use only your textbook and lecture notes to complete this assignment. If you use material from the textbook, please cite it in the body of the essay as follows: (Henkin, p. xx). There is no need to cite lecture material. If I find that you used outside sources or material from the internet there will be a minimum 20-point penalty. Wholesale plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment.