Homestead Lockout And Strike Analysis

The Homestead lockout and strike of 1892 had a big impact on the labor movement of the late 19th century. The misapplication of Darwinian thought is used to explain the misuse of free market techniques. Based on the lecture given in class, Social Darwinism was developed by British philosopher Herbert Spencer who applied Charles Darwin’s theory of biological evolution to society. It is described as a process that came as a result of competition where the strong succeeded and the weak died. Social Darwinism insisted that neither government nor human intervention should be used in order to help the poor. In order to advance humanity, the unfit should be allowed to die off. This was viewed as a natural progression, and government intervention was not and could not be tolerated to stop a natural state of affairs. In this setting, the desire for economic wealth and social success led to misusing both Laissez-Faire philosophies, which stress the fair use of market principles, and …show more content…
Andrew Carnegie decreased production costs, and induced steel production by eliminating the union. Frick demanded pay cuts for skilled workers without the intention to negotiate or recognize the union, provoking strikes among laborers. However, steelworkers rejected the terms of the new contract and Frick locked the workers out of mill and only authorized non-union personnel to work. They reduced jobs, blacklisted union leaders, reintroduced twelve hour workdays, and cut wages for unskilled workers in half, and by one fifth for skilled workers in order to teach them a lesson that they will never forget. Carnegie made a large profit, totaling in about $106 million by