1) The document discusses the history of the labor movement from its origins with the rise of capitalism and division of society into bourgeoisie and proletariat classes. 2) It describes early protests by workers such as the Luddites who destroyed machinery they believed was threatening their jobs. 3) The labor movement advanced through organizing strikes for higher wages, shorter hours, and trade unions in the 19th century in countries like England, France, and Germany. However these early struggles lacked leadership and clear political goals.

1. Name: Nguyen Hoang Hung
Class: 11BSM4
Itec ID: 1158048
Course: Western Civilization.
Assignment: Final essay
Tile: THE HISTORY OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT
Tuesday, 20th,August, 2013
The History of the Labor Movement
Capitalism was first appeared and developed, society was divided into two new forces,
conflicting interests in terms of: bourgeoisie and proletariat. Bourgeoisie formed including all
workshop, factory owners, shippers’ wholesale planters ... Proletarian rooted in people losing
land to leave their homeland to find a way to live in urban, employed in the factories, mills.
Many urban craftsmen became bankrupt workers. The proletariat was absolutely no means of
production, based solely on the employee to live. As a result of the industrial revolution, the
proletariat was born from the second half of the eighteenth century, first in England, the mid-nineteenth
century and gradually formed strong in many European countries and North America.
We can see that in the capitalist factory, workers had to work very hard but got very low wages.
Otherwise, factorys used the machine in industry and workers were living in threatened with job
loss. That was the reason promoting proletariat struggle against the bourgeoisie. At first, because
of limited awareness of some people, who believed that machinery was the cause of their
suffering. Thus, working class smashed machines and burned factories that spontaneously forms
the first war of the proletariat. Typical example: “Mar 11, Ned Ludd led a group of workers in a
wild protest against mechanization. Members of the organized bands of craftsmen who rioted

2. against automation in 19th century England were known as Luddites and also "Ludds." The
movement, reputedly named after Ned Ludd, began near Nottingham as craftsman destroyed
textile machinery that was eliminating their jobs. By the following year, Luddites were active in
Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Leicestershire. Although the Luddites opposed violence
towards people (a position which allowed for a modicum of public support), government
crackdowns included mass shootings, hangings and deportation to the colonies. It took 14,000
British soldiers to quell the rebellion”.1
However, through many experiences of failure and the growth of consciousness, the labor
movement of workers increasingly advanced and organized to form a strike demanding higher
wages, shorter hours, and the establishment of trade unions. In the 20-30 years of the nineteenth
century, the labor movement increasingly crowded European countries, the struggle for
economic rights and politics. In France, in 1831, workers were heavy exploitation and life too
difficult, so textile workers of Lyon uprising demanding higher wages and shorter hours. The
uprising had mastered the city in 10 days. In 1984, the silk mill workers in Lyon uprising
demanding the setting up of the republic. The fierce struggle took place during 4 days, finally
extinguished. Like France, in England, during the years 1836-1848, a large working class
organized took place. They went to meetings, made recommendations autographed workers
crowded into Parliament, demanding higher wages and shorter hours for workers. In spite of
suppressed, it was the labor movement with clear political objectives and the generous response
of the masses. Similar to England and France, in Germany, the lives of workers and craftsmen
were also destitute. In 1844, textile workers in Silésie the uprising and destroying buildings.
1 Timeline Labor. Retrieved August 20, 2013 , from http://www.timelines.ws/subjects/Labor.HTML

3. Even though the uprising did not long maintenance, it was strong effect of the labor movement in
Germany latter.
Inclusion, the struggle of the working class in Britain, France, and Germany failed because of
lack of proper leadership and no clear political line, but had marked the growth of workers;
facilitate the important for the introduction of scientific reasoning behind this.
In the early nineteenth century, capitalism was on the rise, on the one hand produces a product
volume and speed by the department of urbanization increased rapidly, otherwise this exposed its
limitations: Event ruthless exploitation of bourgeois to workers, the life of the workers were
ultra-low wage and poor working conditions, unemployment and other social ills became
increasingly popular. Therefore, crystal misery of the workers had an impact on the awareness,
thought by some people progress in of the bourgeois. They were aware of the shortcomings of
capitalist society, the desire to build a social system better, no private pension, and no
exploitation. For instance, “The French social philosopher and reformer Claude Henri de
Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon (1760-1825), was one of the founders of modern industrial
socialism and evolutionary sociology. Born in Paris to the poorer side of a prominent noble
family, he was commissioned into the army at 17, served 4 years (in the American Revolutionary
War, and then, on his return to Europe, tried a series of bold, though not particularly successful
commercial ventures before the French Revolution. During the Terror of 1793-1794 he was
imprisoned for a year and barely escaped execution, an experience that left him deeply opposed
to revolutionary violence. After his release, he obtained a sizable fortune by speculating in
confiscated properties, which he spent on a lavish Paris salon that attracted many intellectual and
government leaders. But his funds were soon exhausted, and he lived his remaining years in
constant financial difficulties. Starting in 1802 and extending through the chaotic years of

4. Napoleon's rule and the Bourbon restoration that followed, Saint-Simon developed a broad-ranging
program for the reorganization of Europe. Although rarely original, his writings are
distinguished by their fusion of Enlightenment ideals, the materialism of the rising bourgeoisie,
and an emphasis on spiritual unity typical of the Restoration era.”2
All in all, proletariat was created along with the bourgeoisie, and took formation of capitalism.
From the start these two classes had violent conflict, leading to the proletarian struggle against
bourgeoisie. In the early stages they struggled with at a start forms , smashed machinery because
they thought causes make things difficult for their, that were machines. At this time, working
class were not aware of its historical mission. The labor movement of the working class,
scientific socialism have been established that helped working class were aware of their historic
mission and the organized struggle.
2 1825 - Henri de Saint-Simon, The New Christianity. Retrieved August 20,2013, from
https://web.duke.edu/secmod/primarytexts/saint-simon1825.html