Changes

Labor unions arose in the late 1800s, as John Stuart Mill suggested, in order to combat a perceived exploitation of workers.  “Collective bargaining” between workers (the “collective” side) and their opponents, the owners, became popular and continues to exist today.  It was the method of collective bargaining in the late 1900s that helped enable American baseball players to increase their salaries to astronomical levels.  Collective bargaining usually works like this:  raise our salaries or the workers will go on strike.  Several times baseball players made good on their threat, and went out on strike.  Brutal strikes by auto workers in Detroit in the 1970s for higher wages had a huge effect on the competitiveness of the auto industry there.

Labor unions arose in the late 1800s, as John Stuart Mill suggested, in order to combat a perceived exploitation of workers.  “Collective bargaining” between workers (the “collective” side) and their opponents, the owners, became popular and continues to exist today.  It was the method of collective bargaining in the late 1900s that helped enable American baseball players to increase their salaries to astronomical levels.  Collective bargaining usually works like this:  raise our salaries or the workers will go on strike.  Several times baseball players made good on their threat, and went out on strike.  Brutal strikes by auto workers in Detroit in the 1970s for higher wages had a huge effect on the competitiveness of the auto industry there.

Other so-called reforms in the late 1800s included “free” public education in Western Europe, Japan and the United States; rehabilitation for prisoners; and child labor laws to control working conditions for children.  Earlier the abolition movement, which was motivated mostly by Christianity rather than by non-Christian reform movements, wiped out slavery and slave trade worldwide by 1888.

Other so-called reforms in the late 1800s included “free” public education in Western Europe, Japan and the United States; rehabilitation for prisoners; and child labor laws to control working conditions for children.  Earlier the abolition movement, which was motivated mostly by Christianity rather than by non-Christian reform movements, wiped out slavery and slave trade in much of the world by 1888.

In 1848, women suffragettes (supporters of the right to vote for women) met in Seneca Falls, New York, where they issued their own version of the Declaration of Independence called the “Declaration of Sentiments.”  Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott of the United States and the British Emmeline Pankhurst protested for suffrage.  Britain and the United States gave the right to vote to all women shortly after World War I.

In 1848, women suffragettes (supporters of the right to vote for women) met in Seneca Falls, New York, where they issued their own version of the Declaration of Independence called the “Declaration of Sentiments.”  Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott of the United States and the British Emmeline Pankhurst protested for suffrage.  Britain and the United States gave the right to vote to all women shortly after World War I.