The working conditions for industrial laborers were horrendous. Laborers worked in a crowded room, surrounded with dangerous machines and few windows. Skilled and unskilled workers received little to no pay. Women were viewed as temporary because they’d stop working after marriage. Therefore, men and children were more reliable. Factories viewed kids as an advantage because they fit in between the machines. Industrialization led to the development of organized labor unions. One organization called the Knights of Labor failed due to the lack of organization and leadership. That same year Samuel Gompers created the American federation of Labor. This labor union organization allowed skilled workers to receive better wages and safer working conditions.
