America has gone through different economic phases, especially when one of the big problems is the working class and the conditions they face. The most rigorous and trying conditions were created in the 1870s-1920s. At this time, the composition of the working class changed dramatically, job expectations were no longer possible, and working conditions were appalling. The world of the “working class” has thus radically changed. In the 1870s, an influx of immigrants arrived in the country. They had no skills, spoke broken (if any) English, and were willing to work for virtually no pay. These immigrants began to constitute the “new” working class (Hollitz, 105). The work these men did was not easy and was in no way safe. Occupations ranged from laborers to brakemen to coal miners to iron and steel workers (Hollitz, 28-34). By the 1920s, jobs had become more specialized. To be hired, you had to be a qualified worker with experience and apprenticeship under your belt (Bell, 30). Starting in 1906, women began to take the world of work by storm (Wright, 114). People began building to allow women to go to work, rather than worrying about keeping the huge houses clean (Wright, 115). In thirty years, the average wage rose from ten cents an hour for hard work on the railroads to fifteen cents an hour for a boy working in a glass factory (Bell, 224). The changes that have occurred over fifty years have completely revolutionized the archetype of the working family. In 1870, a working-class family was poor and could barely feed themselves. By 1920, the working family could afford a decent sized house, a car and treat themselves from time to time. The working class...... middle of paper ...... working class by getting involved in a war. Gompers recognized that there was unrest in the working class. There were problems with work schedules, safety and benefits. He believed the government was trying to cover up the complaints by launching something bigger, so that the complaints weren't the most important things on the hypothetical table. Although Gompers did not completely understand the particulars of war, he understood the main idea. He tried to scare listeners by saying that Chinese immigrants were going to come into our culture and take over. He compared immigrants to slaves saying they would work for virtually no money. Consequently, this lowers the wage rate and makes jobs harder to find. Samuel Gompers conveyed his passion and spoke with confidence. He made people believe what he said and scared them into wanting to act against the war..