I took a class trip with my graduate U.S. History class (Age of
Industrialization at Texas Woman's University) to Chicago, site of many
important events during that time period.

The trip was greatly informative and right up my alley, as I am a
believer in practicing 'active history' - visiting the geography to
understand the destiny and legacy.

My professors, Dr. Paul Travis and Dr. Jeff Robb, thought up this trip
with a lot of help from Bob Laprelle, Director of the Age of Steam
Museum in Dallas. We took the Amtrak train to Chicago and back,
making for an excellent excursion. I highly recommend train travel!

Here are a few photos from my trip and captions to explain what
you're seeing.
Right:
After the 1871 fire, Chicago rebuilt quickly
into a bustling town full of industry and
commerce. In fact, it became the biggest
and most important town in the whole
Midwest.

However, many workers, having no labor
laws and minimal rights to uphold their
dignity (while still needing to earn a
paycheck), rejected the rampant capitalism
that  defined the city.

Workers had few options to exercise their
rights: they struck ,joined labor
organizations, and/or joined the Socialist
party. Chicago's capitalists were very
threatened by these new ideas and utilized
the police (even the National Guard!) to quell
any 'uprisings' - employees could not even
practice their first amendment right to
assembly!

Socialist organizers were speaking at
Haymarket Square in Chicago, with police
on hand to intimidate the participants.
Someone (no one knows who) threw a
bomb into the throng of police and killed
several officers. Although the Socialist
organizers had no idea this would happen,
five of the speakers were sentenced to die
for 'inciting' the murders. Four were
eventually hanged; the fifth convicted man
blew his own head off.

The Haymarket Square Massacre is now
commemorated by a powerful statue. It
depicts men (workers) holding up the
platform from which the Socialists spoke,
symbolizing support as well as sacrifice.
Left:
We also visited the former company town of Pullman, which was
George Pullman's answer to socialism. George, who built the
well-appointed Pullman cars, created a village where all of his
employees worked, lived, learned, and worshipped.

Pullman controlled every aspect of his status-conscious city.
Company executives lived in fancy homes; skilled workers behind
them; and unskilled laborers lived in what one would consider
tenements. Pullman even owned the church and charged each
congregation large amounts to use the building - so it stood
empty most of the time. Even though the workers resigned
themselves to living in a controlled environment, they refused to
be forced to worship at Pullman's command. And, while George
Pullman was proud of his 'utopia,' he and his family lived in the
trendy Prairie Avenue district of Chicago.

After the Panic of 1893 (what historians consider the first Great
Depression), Pullman orders dropped and many workers were
laid off, or had their hours reduced. However, George Pullman
(either on his own accord or through pressure from his share
holders) refused to lower rents. The worker's struck, and
Pullman 'blacklisted' them from gaining employment in any other
rail road.  Railroad employees all over America realized that in
order to force Pullman to make concessions, they'd need to
strike too, and the Great Railroad Strike of 1894 (with Eugene V.
Debs as leader) commenced.

Grover Cleveland ordered troops to put the strike to a halt,
claiming it was damaging commerce. While the workers gained
no concessions, the town of Pullman was invariably damaged -
not physically, as skirmishes never occurred in Pullman, but
emotionally. Pullman was forced to abandon the town.

Left is a picture inside the old Pullman factory - the factory burned
down in the 1990s. This is a rare glimpse as the factory grounds
are not open to the public, but being university students we were
afforded a comprehensive tour. The rails are original, as are the
doors.
Right and below:
I love these photos because they look so ... Chicago-esque. The building above
has wonderful gothic details and looks out onto the Miracle Mile.

The El train ran right past my hotel window. I desperately wish Dallas had as
extensive a public transit system as Chicago.
Of course I had to capture some vintage neon! I'd be crazy
not to , because Chicago is full of great signage. It is, after
all, the starting point of Route 66!
A Week in the Windy City