Unsuitable Working Conditions In The 19th And 20th Century

In the 19th and 20th century thousands of migrants came to the United States from Europe to find a new start on life. These migrants had a view of what we know today as the American Dream which was believed to bring wealth and success to many. Many believed that the new world could only bring prosperity and happiness. The United States was advertised throughout Europe as a place that would provide a success future, which was appealing to the hopefuls that did not in turn look at any other aspects. These foreigners that struggles just to make a living were attracted to the new world by high wages, prime working conditions, and benefits that almost seemed unreal. These people came to find out that the United States was not what they dreamed of and in fact was a complete antithesis of what they expected. …show more content…
Many were without employments and the lucky ones ended up working in steel mills, factories, or in meat packing facilities. One immigrant who was disappointed was named Jurgis Rudkus from Lithuania. He eventually found a job as a sweeper in a slaughterhouse, which has unsuitable working conditions for all the workers. The people did not only work in unsuitable conditions, they worked long hours, for minimal wages, and extremely dangerous jobs in which the employer did not care about worker safety. The workers suffered through these conditions because there were no way for them to change anything due to the just developing country and little to no labor laws. Jurgis suffered through these harsh conditions from job to job until he began to hear of worker unions and other groups that try to help the working people. The beginning of Jurgis’ American life consisted of sliced fingers, no employment, and a painfully depressing start to his life in