Did American Policy Favor African-Americans, Native Americans, and Factory Workers in the mid-to-late 1800's?

Essay by mjj328High School, 10th gradeA+, April 2004

download word file, 3 pages 3.3

During the mid to late 1800's, America policy did not favor African-Americans, Native Americans, and factory workers. Laws prevented African-Americans from voting and allowed for segregation between them and the whites. The Dawes Act was an attempt to Americanize the Native Americans, but it failed. The federal government favored big business in this time and helped limit the progress of unions. However, child labor laws were eventually passed that did prohibit children from working. All of these laws, beneficial or not, did have a huge impact on the lives of these people.

A federal law passed during this time was the Dawes Act, which attempted to Americanize the Native Americans by giving them American schools and making them farm. The Dawes Act stated that the Native Americans would be given 160 acres of land per household, and that they had to farm it. This act was not beneficial to the Native Americans.

They were not farmers, and the government failed to provide them with proper farming equipment. The teachers for the schools were poorly trained, and there was not enough medical attention given to them. This act hurt the Native American people.

During this time, the government failed to recognize unions as representing the factory workers. Because the big businesses gave government money, the federal government assisted them time and again when they had troubles with employee strikes. An example of this is the Pullman strike, where railroad workers across the nation went on strike and disrupted the mail delivery. Railroad owners appealed to the federal government for help, and President Cleveland sent federal troops to stop the strike. The federal policy of helping big businesses with strikes helped limit unions for many years.

Child labor laws, though often ignored, were passed during this time. Before laws were passed,