Support for Miners Essay

Around the turn of the 20^th century, the Industrial Revolution and influx of immigration were dramatically changing the lives of all Americans. The nation was growing and it demanded more power. That’s where coal comes in. During this time, monopolies began to sprout up and take any advantages possible to get ahead. The behavior and reactions of the owners and miners exemplifies the tension the two groups had with each other during this time period. The miners, in this situation, are who I sympathize with because of the dangerous work conditions, poor treatment by owners, and the lack of benefits they deserve in a very dangerous field of work.

                To begin with, the safety and health conditions related to the average coal mine in the early 20^th century were inadequate at best. Perhaps the technology wasn’t all there, but regardless, gas leaks, explosions and roof falls were not unheard of in mining communities. One statistic claims that 1,000 miners died every year around the turn of the century. Coal mining also has dangerous long-term effects. Black lung, a disease caused by long exposure to coal dust, affected scores of miners and still does to this day.

                Next, owners did not treat their workers well, especially for the job miners had to do every day for most of their lives. It’s even been said that donkeys were more valuable than miners because donkeys cost more to replace than human beings! Furthermore, owners did not lend an ear to the miners, unless force was used. This is why strikes like the Anthracite coal strike in Pennsylvania and the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado happened. Federal troops had to be called into Pennsylvania to help calm things down and get a deal settled before the huge demand for coal arrived with winter. The strike at Ludlow turned into more than a peaceful demonstration: company guards, armed with machine guns, and miners fought fiercely. In the end, when President Woodrow Wilson sent troops to the scene, 40 people were dead, including women and children, and many others wounded. Even though miners would win in the end of both strikes, they did not come easily.

                Finally, miners received nothing besides their normal wages in any situation, including worker’s compensation, sick days or vacation days. Benefits were not around then. If a miner were to get injured on the job, which was common, he didn’t receive extra money or time off to have medical treatment or recovery time. The situation is the same if he was to fall ill and couldn’t work. If you didn’t work, you didn’t get paid, no matter what the reason. The miners, who had one of the most dangerous jobs in America at the time, had to start from square one to be eligible for the benefits they deserved.

                If someone were to look back at the history of coal mining in the United States, he or she would be very appreciative of the rights that workers in all fields can appreciate today. Even though owners were in charge of their own company, the workers were, and still are today, the force behind its business. This is something that the monopolies and millionaires learned the hard way through strikes and worsening public opinion. In the end, miners have played a huge role in achieving the average worker in America the rights and liberties he or she deserves.