Laissez Faire Dbq Analysis

At the turn of the 20th century, a lot was happening for America. Populations were growing and business was booming. Between the years of 1860 and 1900 America saw a 171% rise in the Gross National Product. Big businesses were growing and people were moving from rural areas and from other countries in search of new opportunities. Men, women, and children entered the workforce. (Keene 470) Due to the rise in big business many problems occurred. Although, the Government could have stepped in and provided regulations and rules to support the workers in these big businesses, they feared it would interfere with America’s economic growth. This practice became known as “laissez-faire”, French for “let do” or “leave alone”. (Keene 471) It essential to understand why the American government should have done more in regulating the economy at the turn of 20th century. By following the policy …show more content…
Unions began as organized groups of laborers that asked for better working conditions and higher wages. Their voices went unheard and some of the labor unions resorted to riots, strikes and sometimes even violence. Within a six year period, between 1880 and 1886, there was a dramatic increase in union membership. (Document 12) One of the most known labor union strikes was the Pullman Strike. Wages for the workers had been reduced five times, sometimes as much as 70%, and the employers had raised worker’s rent. This resulted in a strike by the workers which caused a disruption in railroad travel. (Document 4) “We struck at Pullman because we were without hope.“ (Document 4) This shows how desperate the working class became because they were without help. The only step the Government took was to break up the strike, leaving the workers to fend for themselves. Had the federal Government been more supportive of the workers, it might not have been necessary for the working class to resort to strikes and