Problems of Living in an
Industrial State
L E S S O N 2 5
Key Questions
1. What were theworking
conditions in the factories and
mines in our state?
2. What are unions and strikes?
3. How did the growth of
industry change the growth
of cities in our state?
4. What was the Johnstown
Flood?
KeyWords
unions
strike
disaster
Key People & Places
Henry Heinz
Robert Green
JohnWanamaker
FrankWoolworth
Johnstown
Clara Barton
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Chapter 8
Working Conditions
I
n the last lesson, you learned how the
industries of Pennsylvania grew. They
became huge businesses. The men who
started and ran these successful businesses
became very rich. However, not everyone
gained great wealth during this time. The
factories andmills required great numbers of
people. Jobs were a good thing for people.
That iswhymany peoplemoved toour state
— for the jobs. However, the conditions
under which the people worked during the
Industrial Revolutionwere not good.
Many problems developed between the
workers and the people who owned the
mines and factories. Working conditions
were very dirty and very dangerous. The
workers worked 12 hours a day for low pay.
They also worked seven days a week. The
owners of some of the industries built
houses for their workers. However, the
houses were not well built. In coal mining
towns, the stores were owned by the
company. They chargedhighprices for food
and other goods. These conditions made
theworkers angry, but theyneeded the jobs.
Perhaps the most horrible conditions of
all were found in the hard coal mines of
eastern Pennsylvania. It was common for
mines to have deadly gases, cave-ins, and
explosions. Between 1870 and 1900, nearly
9,400 people died inmine accidents. Many
of thosewho diedwere children.
