Download Building Skills: Distinguishing Fact from Opinion

Writing Across the Curriculum
1. Acquire a copy of a job application from a local
business and complete the application form.
2. Write to a student in another part of West Virginia to find out the types of jobs that are available in that area. Share this information with
your classmates and then compile a composite
chart with the information you and your classmates have gathered.
3. Write a journal entry explaining what job you
would like after your graduation from high
school or college.
Exploring the Internet
1. Use a search engine to find the most recent statistics about tourism in West Virginia.
new technology opportunities in West Virginia.
Make a scrapbook of the articles you find.
3. Write a marketing slogan for a tourist attraction in West Virginia.
4. Make a list of the tourist attractions in your
community or your county. Create an advertising brochure to encourage more tourists to visit
one of those attractions.
5. Use the yellow pages in the telephone book to
find examples of manufacturing industries in
your community. If there are none, make a list
of the service businesses in your community.
Did You Know...?
• When the World Rafting Championship was held
Using Your Skills
1. Make a chart showing the eight categories of
nonfarm workers described in the chapter. Research to find occupations other than those
listed in the textbook for each category and
record those occupations on the chart.
2. Clip articles from the daily newspaper that show
•
•
on the New and Gauley rivers in West Virginia
in 2001, it marked the first time that the event
was held in North America.
West Virginia's nationally recognized Rails to
Trails project includes more than 1,000 miles
of tourist trails that can be used by hikers, bikers, and equestrians.
West Virginia hosts more than two hundred fairs
and festivals each year.
Building Skills: Distinguishing Fact
from Opinion
It is important for all of us to be able to tell the
difference between facts and opinions. A fact can
be proven by examining it against other information or by your own observations or research. For
example, “West Virginia has thirty-seven state
parks” is a statement of fact. You can prove it by
calling the Division of Tourism or researching its
website.
An opinion is something a person thinks, believes,
or feels is true. For example, “All tourists love to come
to West Virginia” is a statement of personal opinion. Others may believe that statement, but it is still
a personal opinion.
Examine the following statements carefully. Then
decide which of the statements are fact and which
are opinion.
1. West Virginia’s whitewater rafting is the best in
the world.
2. West Virginia has something for all tourists.
3. The development of tourism is good for West
Virginia’s economy.
4. Every community has the potential for tourism.
5. West Virginia has more than 250 maintained
public trails.
6. West Virginia is truly wild and wonderful.
7. All jobs in tourism are low paying.
8. West Virginia needs to do a better job marketing tourism.
9. West Virginia tourism attracted 21.3 million visitors in 2000.
10. West Virginia’s rural roads discourage visitors
from coming to the Mountain State.
Chapter Review
357
The Development
of Labor
Our fellow miners and workers on Paint Creek are fighting for living
conditions and against the “Guard System” maintained by the coal
operators of this State. . . . Organize yourselves for mutual protection.
—Committee of Cabin Creek, 1912
T
he struggle for better working conditions and the right to
organize unions has been a long one. The rapid industrialization of a previously rural area, the types of industries, the
uneven growth and distribution of population, and the individualism
of both owners and workers are important factors in the labor movement in West Virginia.
Labor unions evolved as workers searched for ways to work with
the powerful business community and to protect themselves from
discriminatory and sometimes unfair decisions. A labor union is an
organization of workers formed to improve wages, benefits, and working
conditions for the workers. Many groups, including shoemakers, printers, glass workers, carpenters, and ironworkers, have joined together
to form national labor organizations. Businesses have often tried to
break the unions, sometimes with the help of the courts.
Although West Virginia workers joined a number of unions, the
struggle between the United Mine Workers of America and the coal
operators greatly influenced the national union movement. The mining
industry has been the scene of bitter conflict, violence, and tragedy.
Early Working Conditions
For most West Virginians in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the workplace was a harsh and dreary place. Coal mines were the largest
employers, and mine owners totally controlled their workers. Many
miners worked twelve or more hours each day and received as little
as 25 cents for a carload of coal. Working conditions were unsafe.
358
West Virginia: The History of an American State
Above: Coal miners have
probably had the greatest
impact on the labor
movement in West Virginia.
Explosions, cave-ins, slate falls, gas-filled mines, water seepage, and
small working areas were common and contributed to the hard life of
West Virginia miners. Between 1890 and 1912, West Virginia had the
highest rate of mine deaths in the United States.
Outside the mines, conditions were little better. Miners lived in
company houses, shopped at company stores, and received their pay
The Development of Labor
359
Chapter
Preview
Terms: labor union, scrip,
yellow-dog contract, lockout,
blacklist, strike, depression,
injunction, scab, cribbing,
mechanization, martial law,
ultimatum, precedent, collective bargaining, commute, New
Deal, National Industrial
Recovery Act,Wagner Act,
workers compensation,TaftHartley Act, right-to-work law
People: Knights of Labor,
Uriah S. Stephens,Terrence
Powderly,American Federation
of Labor, Samuel Gompers,
United Mine Workers of
America, Mary Harris
“Mother” Jones,West Virginia
Federation of Labor, Henry
Hatfield, John L. Lewis, Sid
Hatfield, Congress of Industrial
Organizations,Walter Reuther
Places: Monongah, Paint
Creek, Cabin Creek, Holly
Grove, Matewan, Blair Mountain, Buffalo Creek
in company scrip instead of U.S. currency. Scrip (tokens or paper
certificates) could only be used in a company store.
Companies used many tactics to control their workers’ lives. Before being hired, all miners had to sign a yellow-dog contract by which
they pledged not to join a union. If the miners broke the pledge, they
were automatically fired. If fired, they lost not only their jobs but also
a place to live. If workers complained about conditions, they were not
only fired, but their names were also placed on a blacklist. A blacklist contains the names of individuals or companies to be avoided or
punished. Other mining companies would not hire “troublemakers”
on this list. Sometimes companies even used a lockout to keep their
workers out of the work place.
Although coal mines were among the harshest workplaces, conditions for workers in the timber and steel industries were not much
better. Only in workplaces where special skills were essential were the
workers able to organize to improve their surroundings. Because of
their unique skills, glass blowers, construction workers, ironworkers,
and machinists enjoyed better lifestyles. To fight their dismal working
conditions, miners realized they too needed a voice and power.
Right: Mining was difficult,
dangerous work. Explosions,
cave-ins, slate falls, gas, and
water seepage were common.
360
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
Did You Know...?
First Strike
Michael Owens, who discovered a way to make glass
bottles by machine, was unable
to find work in glass plants in
Wheeling because of his
involvement with unions.
An individual worker had little power. But workers could join together and stop working until the employer treated them fairly. Such
an action was called a strike. Strikes were the most important weapon
that workers struggling to improve their working conditions had. Railroad workers led the first major strike in West Virginia.
In 1873, a disastrous depression spread across the country. Factory output decreased as businesses failed. The decline in production
led to a rise in unemployment. The effects of unemployment spread
out like ripples in a pond. With no wages, workers could not pay rent
or buy food, which in turn took more money out of circulation. Many
of those who were lucky enough to keep their jobs had their wages
cut. Thousands of people found themselves hungry and homeless.
Because times were hard, violence often broke out. The Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad had a train yard at Martinsburg in Berkeley County.
In July 1877, the B&O announced a wage cut for the fourth time in
seven years. Workers became angry and left their trains to go on strike.
After the company hired new employees to run the trains, the strikers
gathered on the tracks and refused to allow the trains to operate.
1903
WVFL formed
1902
Mother Jones first took part in strike in state
1907
Monongah
mine
disaster
1935
WV passed workers compensation
1939
WV passed child labor law
1912
Paint Creek
strikes
1890
UMWA formed
1942
UMWA withdrew
from CIO
1877
First strike in
West Virginia
1860
1869
Knights of
Labor
formed
1880
1900
1886
AFL formed
1894
First Monday in
September designated Labor Day
1920
1917
U.S. Supreme
Court legalized
yellow-dog
contracts
Figure 21
Timeline:
1860-2000
1940
1935
CIO
established;
Wagner Act
passed
1960
1972
Buffalo Creek
disaster
1980
2000
1955
AFL-CIO merger
1947
Taft-Hartley Act passed
1993
Labor-Management Positive
Change Program created
Early Working Conditions
361
Above: In 1877, angry
B&O Railroad workers at
Martinsburg organized a
strike to protest the fourth
cut in wages in seven years.
The strike was squelched in
West Virginia, but it spread
nationally throughout the
rail industry.
When the sheriff could not control the strikers, the mayor of
Martinsburg telegraphed Governor Henry Mathews for help. By law,
the governor was required to protect the company’s property, and he
immediately ordered the state militia to Martinsburg. The militia’s first
attempt to quiet the strikers ended in gunfire and withdrawal. The
head of the militia wired Mathews that many men in his unit were
railroad men and that they could not be depended on to break up the
strikers. The governor turned for help to President Rutherford B. Hayes,
who sent two hundred infantry. This was probably the first time federal troops were used for this purpose. The troops arrived in
Martinsburg on July 19, and the strike ended the next day. The strike
accomplished nothing for the workers, whose wages were further reduced when they returned to their jobs.
Though broken in West Virginia, the strike spread nationally. The
great railroad strike of 1877 was but a small sample of the coming
labor unrest in West Virginia.
Early Labor Unions
Labor unrest increased dramatically in the late 1800s as larger and
larger companies spread industry throughout the country. If workers
went on strike in one area, companies could still operate in other
362
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
Preserving Our Heritage
John Henry
R
ailroads played an important part in the industrial
development of West Virginia. However, building a
railroad to serve the coalfields presented a particular problem. Decisions had to be made whether to go over,
around, or through the Appalachian Mountains. In 1872,
just outside Talcott in Summers County, the decision was
made to tunnel through the mountains. This decision gave
rise to the legend of John Henry, the steel-driving man.
When digging a tunnel, rock must first be blasted out of
the way. A team of three people—the driver, the shaker, and
the powder monkey—performed this job. The driver used a
sledgehammer to strike a steel drill held by the shaker. This
drove a hole in the rock, into which the powder monkey
placed the explosives used to shatter the rock. The shaker
held and rotated the drill, while the driver swung in rhythm,
usually accompanied by song.
According to the legend, John Henry was a hard-working
steel driver who, it was said, swung two hammers simultaneously, doing the work of two or more men. At some point
during construction on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad’s
Great Bend Tunnel, railroad officials brought in a steam drill
to speed up work on the project. Unhappy with this addition to the
workforce, John Henry allegedly challenged the steam drill to a race in
an effort to prove the superiority of man over machine.
The challenge was accepted, a contest was set, and wagers were
made. When the contest began, the machine quickly surged ahead.
John Henry, however, did not appear to worry. He calmly and steadily
drove steel, and in no time he began to catch up to the machine.
The contest continued throughout the day. Steam hissed from the
machine. Sounds of steel on steel came from John Henry’s two 20pound hammers. As the day neared its end, the steam machine hissed,
sputtered, and finally stopped. John Henry, proud and triumphant,
continued to drive steel as if to flaunt his superior strength. Legend
has it that the steel-driving man continued swinging his hammers until
he collapsed, reportedly from exhaustion, and died.
Near Talcott, the Great Bend Tunnel stands as a monument to this
West Virginia folk hero. In Talcott, there is a monument to recognize
the accomplishments of this “steel-driving man.”
John Henry: This statue
of John Henry sits atop the
mountain through which
the Big Bend Tunnel runs.
John Henry
363
areas, which weakened the power of the strike. Workers fought back
by forming nationwide labor organizations. But workers in each trade
also realized that they had much in common with workers in other
trades, and they began to experiment with a national federation of all
labor unions.
The first national federation was the Noble and Holy Order of the
Knights of Labor, created in 1869. Established by Uriah S. Stephens
and six other men, the organization began as a secret group to protect the jobs of its members. The union’s goal was to unite all workers
regardless of race, gender, or occupation. For a period in the 1870s
and 1880s, the Knights of Labor was the leading labor federation. In
1879, Terrence Powderly took over as Grand Master Workman of the
Knights of Labor. Under his leadership, membership increased, and
the union led a successful strike against the railroad industry. The
Knights’ leadership, however, seemed confused at times about what
it wanted to achieve. It was often blamed for actions it did not approve,
and, by 1887, the union was losing members.
A new federation of trade unions, begun in 1881, filled the vacuum
left by the Knights’ decline. The American Federation of Labor (AFL),
as it became known in 1886, was a loose alliance of other national
unions. Workers joined their trade’s union, which in turn became an
affiliate (branch) of the AFL.
Samuel Gompers founded
the American Federation of
Labor and helped stabilize
union activity in the United
States.
364
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
The founder of the AFL, Samuel Gompers, helped stabilize American unionism. Many early unions had been weak and poorly financed;
the first failed strike ruined them. Some of the unions even wanted
workers to take over American industry. Gompers had a different vision. He was satisfied with industry remaining in the hands of private
investors. He only wanted unions to be in a stronger bargaining position. Under Gompers’s guidance, unions adopted policies that enabled
workers to lead successful strikes, and the AFL grew.
Do You Remember?
1. What was the weapon adopted by unions to fight employers’
unjust labor practices?
2. In what industry was the first strike in West Virginia?
3. What organization did Samuel Gompers head?
Unionism Comes to
West Virginia
Although West Virginia had local unions representing workers in many
industries, much of the early conflict occurred in the largest industry
—coal mining.
Below: The Ehlen mines
are typical of those found
throughout West Virginia at
the beginning of the
twentieth century. In this
photograph, onlookers are
watching a parade.
Unionism Comes to West Virginia
365
Early Mine Strikes
Above: Because of their
unique skills, workers in
industries such as construction usually enjoyed better
working conditions than
those in industries such as
mining.
Nonunion conditions posed a threat to the good wages earned by
union members. Some mines in the Kanawha Valley that had been
unionized early negotiated contracts by which miners received 50 cents
per ton of loaded coal. On the other hand, unorganized miners in
Fayette County received only 38 cents per ton. In January 1880, the
miners working near Hawks Nest, under the remnants of the Knights
of Labor, went on strike. This strike suffered the same fate as other
local strikes; it was broken without much difficulty by the West
Virginia militia.
Companies fought strikers
with what the miners called the
“unholy four”: (1) the state militia, which often arrested lawabiding strikers; (2) injunctions,
which were orders issued by local judges prohibiting strikers
from picketing; (3) the companies’
private armed guards, who intimidated strikers; and (4) scabs,
people willing to work for the
companies when regular workers
went on strike. Because scabs
were usually willing to work for
lower wages than the unions were
seeking, their presence in the
coalfields made it difficult for
workers to win their strikes and
improve their working conditions.
The mining companies were helped in their fight against unions by
the state government. Many early West Virginia politicians had connections to mine owners or the railroads, which hauled coal for big
profits; they believed unions would harm the growth of business in
the state. Wealthy businessmen donated money to the campaigns of
state politicians, who promised to follow policies to help company
owners. Thus, the state government allowed mine owners to hire their
own private armies to defeat strikes. When that was not good enough,
the governor might send in the state militia to scare union members
and put their leaders in jail.
Early Labor Agreements
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) was organized in 1890
in Columbus, Ohio, when the National Progressive Union of Miners
and Mine Laborers merged with an affiliate of the Knights of Labor.
The UMWA was especially interested in organizing West Virginia. If
366
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
the mines in the state were allowed to remain nonunion, mine owners could sell nonunion coal more cheaply, putting union miners in
other states out of work. In 1901, the UMWA established District 17
at Wheeling to begin unionizing the West Virginia mines.
Despite many obstacles, the UMWA won some agreements. These
agreements, like the previously negotiated labor contract at the
Harewood Mines in Fayette County, were often simple. The 1897
Harewood contract had only five parts and was less than a page long.
According to the contract, wages would be 2.25 cents for every bushel
of 11/2-inch screened coal; union
workers would be returned to
their old jobs; discrimination
against employees because of
their connections with any organizations was forbidden; interference in the mines by members of
the Ku Klux Klan was prohibited;
and the company was required to
hire check weighmen, who would
verify that the coal mined by each
miner was accurately weighed.
Each coal car brought out of the
mine held a certain amount of
coal. Sometimes, the cars were
fixed so that they held more coal
than the stated amount. For example, a coal car might state that
it held 1,000 pounds of coal, when
in reality it held 1,200 pounds.
The miners, however, were only paid for 1,000 pounds. This system,
known as cribbing, would be corrected by hiring honest weighmen.
At the other end of the spectrum were contracts negotiated by the
unions of skilled crafters. In the window glass industry, for example,
the union enforced sixty-six pages of rules. The iron workers’ union
had rules governing who would be hired, what each worker would be
paid, how much iron the workers would make each day, and what
the size of the work crew would be. These craft unions also strictly
controlled who could become members. Usually, a young man could
not become an apprentice to learn
a craft in the iron and glass indusDid You Know...?
tries unless he had a father or an
Miners were also penalized if
uncle already in the trade. As a reslate or rock were mixed in
sult, it was especially difficult for
with the coal.
women and minorities to gain entrance to unions.
Above: Workers in the
window glass industry had
some of the most complex
labor contracts.
Unionism Comes to West Virginia
367
The Labor Movement in the 1900s
Above: Mary Harris Jones
was known affectionately as
“Mother” and “the miners’
angel.” Although she was
petite in stature, her voice
was larger than life.
368
The new century brought dramatic changes for the state’s workers. In urban areas, new industries opened up job opportunities as
companies moved to the Mountain State to take advantage of the newly
discovered natural resources. In places like
Clarksburg and Fairmont, where oil and natural gas
were found, steel and glassmaking factories appeared offering good-paying jobs. Wheeling and
Huntington were adding industries, and the chemical industry was emerging on the Kanawha River.
Statewide, the construction industry was booming.
In 1902, the United Mine Workers took a major
step forward for all unions. Earlier, mining strikes
were usually local, directed against just one company. Organizing the whole state was extremely
difficult. Many workers lived in isolated towns that
were controlled by the coal companies. And not all
miners favored the unions. For some, belonging to
a union was a way to oppose the company system
and to try for legal and economic gains; others feared
that joining a union would lead to their being blacklisted. To carry out their plan, the UMWA called for
a general strike (one involving all unionized mines)
to bring about union recognition in the Pittsburgh
Bed, Allegheny/Kanawha, and New River/Pocahontas fields. This time, however, the unions had a powerful weapon. Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, called
“the miner’s angel,” made the first of many appearances in the coalfields to help organize the miners.
Mary Harris Jones was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1830, at least according to her autobiography. More recent research indicates she may
have been born as late as 1845. Jones was a teacher in Michigan and
Tennessee and later operated a dressmaking shop in Chicago. When
her husband and children died from yellow fever, she decided to dedicate her life to the labor movement. Although she had become a member of the UMWA in 1891, the 1902 strike was her first involvement in
West Virginia.
Mother Jones was an excellent public speaker who was devoted to
helping the miners win their war against the companies. She may have
been given the name “Mother” because she was like a stern and loving
parent who stood beside the miners and suffered for their cause. When
confronted with a strikebreaker or judge, she was able to control the
situation with her quick, witty, and sometimes profane answers. Mother
Jones was often the target of company injunctions, which she usually
defied. On one occasion, she spent time in jail for her union activities.
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
In the Pittsburgh Bed fields, injunctions stopped the miners’ efforts.
As a result, only about 25 percent of the miners in the state actually
went on strike. Although the strike was not successful statewide, the
UMWA did obtain contracts in some areas that led to ten years of labor peace. Union efforts, for example, did lead to a new contract in
the Kanawha fields.
After the 1902 strike, coal operators stepped up efforts against the
unions. They used an old common-law provision (an unwritten law based
on earlier court decisions) to take away the miners’ right to organize.
The operators hired private,
armed guards in increasing numbers and paid off deputy sheriffs.
Did You Know...?
Mother Jones has been called
“the greatest woman agitator
of our times.”
The West Virginia
Federation of Labor
Some local labor groups believed the state’s workers needed
a greater political voice to address
their concerns. To this end, a
group of people met in Huntington in February 1903 and organized the West Virginia Federation of Labor (WVFL), which represented fifty-seven different
crafts including the United Mine
Workers of America. By 1906, the
WVFL had sixty-five locals and a
total membership of 6,000. The
WVFL pushed for laws to protect worker rights, to provide compensation for workers injured on the job, and to stop the use of children in
factories. Within a decade, the WVFL became an important force in
the state’s politics.
The effectiveness of the WVFL, however, was tied to the success of
the United Mine Workers. Miners continued to protest against the
companies’ use of private guards and the dangerous and poor working conditions they had to endure. The practice of using private guards
was so common that Governor William Dawson referred to them in
his message to the Legislature in 1907. Although he noted that guards
were used to protect property and prevent trespassing, he also acknowledged, “Many outrages have been committed by these guards, many
of whom appear to be vicious and dare-devil men who seem to add to
their viciousness by bull-dozing and terrorizing people.”
Little attention was given to the dangers in the mines, including the
explosions and roof falls that were common causes of death and injury. That changed in December 1907 when West Virginia was the
Above: In 1907, a mine
explosion at Monongah in
Marion County killed at
least 361 men.The disaster
at Monongah illustrated
the need for federal safety
regulations in the mines.
Unionism Comes to West Virginia
369
scene of one of the worst disasters in coal mining history.
At Monongah, in Marion County, 361 men were killed in
an explosion. Because of the lack of employee records and
the fact that miners’ sons often helped load coal, some historians believe that perhaps as many as 500 were killed.
The Monongah disaster is important in mining history
because it led to the first calls for federal safety regulations
in the mines. In 1910, the U.S. Congress created the Bureau of Mines to improve health and safety in the industry. However, because the Bureau was not given the power
to inspect and close mines, it really did little but collect statistics. During the decade following the disaster at
Monongah, the UMWA joined with the WVFL in taking the
first steps to pass laws to prevent future accidents.
Do You Remember?
1. What role did scabs play in early strikes at the mines in
West Virginia?
2. What was the purpose of check weighmen?
3. Who was Mother Jones?
4. What was the WVFL?
5. What happened at Monongah?
6. Why did the Bureau of Mines not have much power?
Above: Workers in the
West Virginia mines
included many immigrants,
such as Steve Dakla from
Hungary.
Did You Know...?
On September 12, 1912,
Mother Jones led a march of
miners’ children through the
streets of Charleston.
370
Changing Times
The founding of the West Virginia Federation of Labor came at the end
of an era. Union members in the state were almost all craftsmen,
workers with special skills. But industry was changing. Companies
were building larger and larger factories and replacing craftsmen with
machines that required little skill to operate. This was called mechanization. At the same time, millions of immigrants were flocking to
America, fleeing poverty and harsh governments in Italy, Russia,
Hungary, and other parts of Europe. Many of these immigrants came
without skills or money. They had to take the first jobs offered in their
new country at whatever wages were available.
Companies often sent agents to the major immigration ports to recruit the newcomers for the lowest-paying and least desirable jobs. In
this way, immigrants arrived in West Virginia to take the worst jobs in
the steel mills, coke ovens, coal mines, and chemical plants. The immigrants also competed for the new jobs being created by mechanization. Company owners felt the time was right to rid their factories of
labor unions and the improved wages and working conditions the
unions had brought.
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
Miners Go to War
For a decade after the United Mine Workers organized the mines
along the Kanawha River in 1902, there was labor peace. But in April
1912, coal companies on Paint Creek in Kanawha County refused to
renew the 1902 union contract. The miners went on strike, asking for
a nine-hour work day and to be paid in U.S. currency rather than
company scrip. The companies, in turn, evicted (forced out) the striking miners and their families from the company houses. Miners from
Cabin Creek, who joined the strike, were also evicted from company
housing. The miners and their families set up temporary tent colonies along roads and at Holly Grove on Paint Creek.
The mining companies, worried about their property, hired a number of mine guards from the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. Two
armed groups—the company guards and the miners—now faced each
other on Paint and Cabin creeks. The fragile peace between the two
groups ended on July 25, 1912, when a confrontation took place at
Mucklow (now Gallagher) on Paint Creek. Before the day ended, hundreds and possibly thousands of shots had been fired and twelve
miners and four guards had been killed.
The fighting continued off and on until September 2, when Governor William Glasscock declared martial law (using military forces to
keep order when civilian authority breaks down). At least 1,200 members of the state militia arrived and imposed curfews, took guns away
from miners, and outlawed union meetings. The militia also helped
the companies evict strikers from company housing and protected
scabs who were arriving on special trains paid for by the companies.
Miners arrested by the militia were tried not by a judge and jury but
by a military commission, which sentenced hundreds of miners to jail.
As the strike dragged into 1913, the miners resorted to a type of
guerrilla warfare against the companies, the Baldwin-Felts guards,
and the militia. Mother Jones returned to the coalfields and encouraged the miners to fight back against the guards and to defy martial
law that had been imposed.
In early February, the miners attacked three coal camps to prevent
scabs from working the mines. One company worker was killed and
several were wounded. The sheriff, his posse, and the guards tracked
the miners back to the tent city at Holly Grove. Then, on February 7,
Baldwin-Felts guards, Kanawha County Sheriff Bonner Hill, and coal
operator Quinn Morton rode an armored train toward the miners’
camp. As the train approached Holly Grove, gunfire erupted. One man
was killed, and up to sixteen other persons were wounded. Each side
accused the other of firing first, but no one was ever brought to trial.
On February 12, Mother Jones, eighty-three years of age and ill, was
placed under house arrest in Pratt and charged with conspiracy to
commit murder. A new military court tried her, along with more than
Governor William
Glasscock declared
martial law in 1912 when
confrontations between
mine operators and coal
miners broke out in the
mines on Paint Creek.
Changing Times
371
twenty others. Those who were convicted received sentences of ten to
twenty years in prison.
Papers across the United States carried news of the mine wars. Many
who read the stories were appalled. A U.S. Senator from Indiana sponsored a resolution calling for an investigation into the use of armed
guards and military tribunals.
On March 4, 1913, Governor Glasscock’s term of office ended. Henry
Hatfield succeeded him and inherited the responsibility for ending the
violent strike that had continued for over a year. Governor Hatfield
reduced the long jail terms set by the military commissions. He gave
both the coal companies and the union an ultimatum to settle the
strike. (An ultimatum is a final statement of terms offered by one party
to another with the threat of force if the offer is not accepted.) The threat
finally brought the strikers and companies together and, on May 1,
1913, they reached an agreement. Under its terms, the miners were
allowed to shop at noncompany stores. They would work nine-hour
days and be paid twice a month. A check weighman would be provided if the miners wanted one.
Labor in the Era of World War I
Henry Hatfield succeeded
William Glasscock as
governor. Hatfield inherited
the mining strike, but he
issued an ultimatum to
both sides and was able to
bring about an agreement
that ended the strike.
372
Other unions in West Virginia faced difficult struggles to hold onto
their members. In the steel industry, the skilled workers and their unions
had disappeared; in the glass industry, machines had replaced most
craftsmen. In mechanized factories, it was difficult to convince workers
to join unions despite their harsh working conditions. No laws protected
the workers’ right to join a union, and the new machines made it easy
for companies to train new workers if their employees went on strike.
Then, in 1917, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a judge in Moundsville
who issued an injunction making it illegal for unions to even attempt to
organize workers who had signed yellow-dog contracts.
The Supreme Court decision came as a result of a 1907 UMWA disagreement with the Hitchman Coal and Coke Company in Benwood,
Marshall County. The company had obtained an injunction to keep the
UMWA from interfering with the operation of the company’s mines. A
U.S. circuit court judge set a precedent (a legal example to follow) by
supporting the right of coal companies to ban their employees’ participation in organizing activities. The UMWA appealed the injunction. Ten
years later, in December 1917, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the
Hitchman decision and, in so doing, legalized yellow-dog contracts.
Because of such stiff opposition to unions, some workers looked
for radical (extreme) alternatives. In the Clarksburg, Star City, and
Kanawha County coalfields, many workers voted for the Socialist party,
which wanted government to take control of industries and operate
them for the benefit of all people, not just the owners. In other areas,
workers joined the Industrial Workers of the World, which hoped to
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
convince all industrial wage earners to take over the factories in which
they worked and run them for their own benefit. In both cases, the
radical alternatives arose when union efforts failed.
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, industry faced
new demands to provide for American troops as well as the people who
remained behind. The government also wanted to maintain labor peace
so as not to disrupt the war efforts. One of the best ways to maintain
peace, government decided, was to encourage collective bargaining,
a process where unions and companies negotiate with each other for
wages and working conditions. With government support during the
war, the labor movement grew rapidly. In many companies that had
fought unions, workers now joined unions and won such benefits as
an eight-hour workday, job security, and the right to fair and equal treatment. These unions also included women and minorities.
Above: Armed guards, like
these at a Farmington
mine around 1920, tried to
keep peace in the coalfields.
The War on Labor
During World War I, both the coal companies and the miners concentrated on meeting the increasing demands for fuel. When the war
ended, however, businessmen decided they could increase profits by
eliminating collective bargaining. In industries across the country,
Changing Times
373
employers refused to renew union contracts. In the glass industry,
West Virginia companies finally got rid of the craft union rules. Railroad workers fought a long, costly strike that almost destroyed their
unions.
One factor making it difficult for workers to keep their unions was
the course of world events. A revolution in Russia and uprisings in
Germany and Italy frightened Americans. Many remembered that some workers had been linked to socialism and
other radical groups before the war. When unions of steelworkers, meat packers, and even police went on strike in
1919 to defend the rights they had won during the war,
businessmen predicted that a revolution was coming. The
West Virginia government passed laws that limited the freedom of unions and established the state police. When steelworkers tried to form a union in the northern panhandle,
the governor ordered the police to chase all union organizers into Ohio.
Bloody Mingo
Sheriff Sid Hatfield sided
with the miners in their
dispute with mine owners.
He was killed in 1921 on the
steps of the McDowell
County courthouse in Welch.
374
By 1919, the largest nonunionized coal region in the
eastern United States was Logan and Mingo counties. In
January 1920, John L. Lewis, who became president of the
UMWA in 1919, announced a campaign to unionize the
Appalachian coalfields. The mine operators in southern
West Virginia were determined that their mines would not
become unionized. To show their determination to remain
nonunion, the coal operators in Logan County paid the
county sheriff, Don Chafin, and a number of his deputies
to keep union organizers out of the county. However, the
miners began to think more and more about joining the
union after learning that nationally the UMWA had secured
a 27 percent wage increase for its members. While Logan
County miners struggled for union recognition, miners in
Kanawha County met to show their support. About 5,000 miners met
at Marmet, near Lens Creek, and prepared to go to Logan County.
Governor John Cornwell, aware of the possible danger, went to Marmet
to meet with the miners and convinced most of them to return home.
Less than six months later, mine owners in nearby Mingo County
announced they would start operating their mines nonunion. They
began evicting miners who would not leave the UMWA. The owners
contacted the Baldwin-Felts Agency to send guards to not only protect the mines but also intimidate union miners. On May 19, 1920,
Thomas Felts, the president of the Baldwin-Felts Agency, his two
younger brothers, Albert and Lee, and ten other guards, arrived in
Matewan to evict miners and their families. Chief of Police Sid Hatfield,
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
with a group of miners, tried unsuccessfully to stop the guards from
carrying out their objective. When the guards returned to Matewan
after evicting miners from the Stone Mountain camp, union members
tried to prevent them from boarding a train to Bluefield. Hatfield attempted to arrest Albert Felts outside the railroad depot for “illegally”
conducting the evictions. In the confrontation that followed (known
as the “Matewan Massacre”), seven guards (including Albert and Lee
Felts), Mayor Caleb Testerman, and two miners were killed. Sid
Hatfield, who became a hero in the eyes of the miners, was charged
with the shootings. Hatfield and eighteen others were tried in
Williamson, where they were acquitted of all charges.
The open warfare between the miners and the mine owners eventually earned the county the title of “Bloody Mingo.” One year after the
Matewan Massacre, E. F. Morgan, the new governor, declared martial
law in Mingo County. The miners achieved a victory in the courts when
the state Supreme Court declared that the use of martial law had been
wrongly imposed. The court stated, “substitution of military [law], for
civil law, in any community, is . . . deplorable and calamitous.”
On August 1, 1921, Sid Hatfield found himself in court again. He
and Matewan police officer Ed Chambers were charged with “shooting up” the coal tipple in Mohawk a year before. The two men were
killed on the courthouse steps in Welch, in McDowell County, where
they had gone to stand trial on the charges. Many believed the men
were set up and their murders carefully planned. But no charges were
Above: After two years of
open warfare, Governor
Cornwell asked that federal
troops be sent to Mingo
County.
Changing Times
375
Above: In August 1921,
angry miners organized a
march to protest the
murder of Sid Hatfield and
conditions in the Mingo and
Logan mines. Some miners
hijacked a train to take
them to Logan County.
filed against the Baldwin-Felts gunmen who allegedly committed
the crime.
On August 7, to protest the murders of Hatfield and Chambers,
miners held a rally at the West Virginia “pasteboard” capital. The “pasteboard” capital was a temporary frame building that housed government offices after the state Capitol burned down on January 3, 1921.
Union leaders prepared the miners for a march to Mingo County to
drive the Baldwin-Felts guards out of the county and to free their fellow miners. To get to Mingo County, however, the miners had to march
through Logan County, crossing a ten-mile-long mountain ridge called
Blair Mountain.
On August 24, 1921, an army of about 3,000 miners met at Marmet,
in Kanawha County. Many were veterans of World War I, and they
helped organize the march in a military fashion. The miners identified themselves by wearing red bandanas around their necks. This is
where the term “red neck” originated. Some of the miners traveled
Did You Know...?
by automobile and train, but as
The “pasteboard” capital where
they proceeded toward Logan, the
miners demonstrated against
number of marchers increased.
the murder of Sid Hatfield
Some carried weapons.
burned on March 2, 1927.
Governor Ephraim Morgan notified the militia and the state po-
376
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
lice, but he knew that neither would be able to handle the marchers.
Morgan asked President Warren Harding for help. Harding sent World
War I hero Henry Bandholtz to Charleston and put federal troops on
alert while union, state, and federal officials tried to stop the marchers. Even Mother Jones, who was ninety-one years old at the time,
tried to stop the march. She read a telegram supposedly from President Harding that asked the marchers to return to their homes. Doubting union leaders contacted the White House to learn that no such
telegram had been sent. This deception only made the miners more
determined to go to Logan County.
Logan Sheriff Don Chafin, however, vowed “no armed mob will cross
Logan County.” The sheriff gathered a force of about five hundred
deputies, including mine guards, townspeople, and store owners. On
August 26, the first red necks reached the town of Blair. Union leaders, who had met with Bandholtz earlier, told the miners that they
could be charged with treason and persuaded them to turn back. The
miners had started to disperse when news came that armed deputies
had killed five miners on the night of August 27 during a raid at
Sharples, across the Logan County line. Angered by this news, the
miners immediately set out again and finally reached Blair Mountain
where the National Guard was positioned. Between August 28 and
August 30, the two forces engaged in a number of skirmishes. The
miners were dug in along a mountain ridge, not far from Blair, where
Below: Deputies under
attack from miners
on Blair Mountain return
fire with rifles and a
machine gun.
Changing Times
377
Above: These armed
deputies battled the miners
on Blair Mountain.
Did You Know...?
Bill Blizzard was indicted two
other times for his involvement
at Blair Mountain. His Greenbrier County trial resulted in a
hung jury. A new trial in
Fayetteville was dismissed
when an impartial jury could
not be found.
they fought off attacks. Governor Morgan continued to appeal for federal aid.
President Harding ordered the miners to
disperse by September 1, but they refused. The miners’ ranks increased daily
as fellow miners came from Kentucky,
Ohio, and northern West Virginia.
Finally, on September 1, President
Harding sent federal troops from Fort
Thomas, Kentucky, to Charleston.
Famed war hero Billy Mitchell also arrived
with planes from Langley Field in Virginia.
A number of the planes, however, crashed
in various parts of West Virginia, including Nicholas and Raleigh counties. Two
days later, the 10th U.S. Infantry and a squadron of Martin Bombers
arrived in Logan County. The scene was set for a major confrontation,
but many of the miners who had served in World War I refused to fight
the U.S. Army because they believed it to be unpatriotic. Most of the
miners surrendered on September 3, but some continued fighting until the next day. After September 4, almost all of the miners had either
left Logan or surrendered to federal troops.
The total number of casualties in the conflict at Blair Mountain is
unknown. The only confirmed numbers were those of the defenders,
who reported 3 killed and 40 wounded. Another report said at least
13 miners lost their lives. Over 1,000 people were indicted. More than
500 were brought to trial, including 325 miners who were charged
with murder and 24 who were charged with treason against the state
of West Virginia. The trials of the defendants, including Bill Blizzard,
who some considered the leader of the march, were moved from Logan County to Charles Town in Jefferson County. Although Blizzard
and other alleged leaders of the march on Logan were not convicted,
several people who played a minor part in the fighting were. Governor
Morgan commuted, or lessened, many of the sentences; later, Governor Howard Gore pardoned all of the miners.
The events in Mingo and Logan counties hurt unions in West Virginia. Membership in the UMWA statewide fell from 45,000 in 1920
to about 1,000 in 1927.
Do You Remember?
1. Name two sites where violence erupted between miners and coal
operators.
2. Why was there generally peace between unions and operators during World War I?
3. Why did the government support collective bargaining in 1917?
378
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
Labor and the Depression
In 1929, the worst depression in the country’s history began. Conditions for workers had been poor, but now they became worse. Factory
workers and miners had little say over wages and working conditions.
Many others had difficulty obtaining any job at all. The economy was
so bad that some workers would do almost anything to earn their living. Unfortunately, some companies took advantage of the situation.
They paid low wages and gambled with the safety and health of their
employees. One such company was the Union Carbide Chemical Corporation, one of the state’s largest industrial employers.
In 1930, Union Carbide began building a tunnel through Gauley
Mountain to divert waters from the New River for a hydroelectric generating station for its plants in the nearby Kanawha Valley. The problem was that the rock under Gauley Mountain was almost pure silica.
When breathed into a person’s lungs, silica dust causes silicosis, a
fatal disease. Although both Union Carbide and the firm that was hired
Below: In 1930, the
Union Carbide Chemical
Corporation began building
a tunnel through Gauley
Mountain to divert the
waters of the New River to
a hydroelectric generating
station.The rock through
which the workers had to
drill was pure silica, which
resulted in deaths and
serious health problems
from silicosis.
Changing Times
379
to build the tunnel knew of the high silica content, they did not supply the workers with safety equipment. As a result, at least 476 workers died. Union Carbide never admitted responsibility for the tragedy
and did nothing for the workers’ families.
The New Deal
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, seen here
campaigning for the presidency in 1932, proposed
the New Deal as a way of
actively involving the
federal government in the
nation’s economy and
hastening an end to the
Great Depression.
380
By 1932, many people feared that the Great Depression, as it was
called, was destroying American society. Violent confrontations
between desperate workers and hard-pressed companies disrupted
communities. Hate groups encouraged intolerance. Most citizens believed a change in politics
was needed. In the 1932 presidential election, Americans elected
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the
former governor of New York.
Roosevelt surrounded himself
with advisers who thought government should take a more active role in aiding the economy.
The Roosevelt Administration
called its programs the New Deal.
New Deal aid came in the form
of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933. This act
helped eliminate competition that
was so harmful to business and
set standards for wages and
hours that helped workers. But
most importantly, the act gave
workers the right to join unions and bargain collectively with their employers. Although the U.S. Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in 1935, the government acted again to support the workers’
right to join unions by passing the Wagner Act that same year. To
further protect worker rights, other New Deal laws prevented companies from employing children, outlawed yellow-dog contracts, and set
minimum standards for wages and working conditions.
Gains for Unions
The person who best understood the meaning of the Wagner Act
was the president of the United Mine Workers, John L. Lewis. For the
first time in America history, the government encouraged workers to
join unions and bargain collectively with companies over wages and
working conditions. Lewis sent organizers to the coalfields telling miners “your President wants you to organize.” It was just the spark the
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
miners needed. Within two years, West Virginia mines were almost
100 percent union.
Lewis knew that the Wagner Act also made it possible for less-skilled
industrial workers in large mechanized factories to unionize. He wanted
to send organizers to steel mills, auto factories, and
textile plants, but the American Federation of Labor wanted to remain an organization of craft
unions. Frustrated, Lewis led the most aggressive
union leaders out of the AFL and formed the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1935.
Within a decade, the CIO had brought unions to the
less skilled workers in the most mechanized industries, winning decent wages and job security.
Also in 1935, the West Virginia Legislature ended
the mine guard system and instituted workers compensation, insurance for workers who become disabled on the job or who suffer from job-related
illnesses such as silicosis. In 1939, the Legislature
passed a child labor law, which prevented the employment in the mines of anyone under sixteen
years of age. The abuse of young people had been a
very serious problem, not only because the work was
dangerous but also because many young people quit
school to work.
In 1941, the United States again became involved
in a world war. But World War II did not bring about
labor peace in West Virginia as World War I had.
John L. Lewis withdrew the UMWA from the CIO in
1942. In 1943, Lewis called the miners out on strike.
The public was angry with the union for striking
during the war, and President Roosevelt ordered the government to
take control of the coal mines. Several months of bitterness followed
before a contract was signed.
When World War II ended, industrial prosperity spread. The unions
wanted their share; as a result, 1946 saw much action by the unions.
In fact, there were over 5,000 strikes nationwide in 1946 alone. Although the unions scored impressive victories, the general public resented the problems caused by strikes. They also blamed unions for
increased prices. John L. Lewis again led the UMWA on strike; this
time, Lewis and the union were charged with and convicted of ignoring court injunctions.
Anger against union activities resulted in the passage in 1947 of
the Taft-Hartley Act, which restricted the power of labor unions. Two
provisions particularly upset unions. First, the law gave the president
of the United States the power to stop, for eighty days, strikes that
John L. Lewis was one of
the founders of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. In 1942, however, he
withdrew the UMWA from
the CIO. In 1943, he called
for a strike even though the
United States was involved
in World War II.
Changing Times
381
endangered the health and safety of the country. Second, states were
permitted to pass right-to-work laws, laws which permit workers to
get and keep jobs without joining a union.
Labor in the Late 1900s
Above: WestVirginian
Walter Reuther was a leader
of the United Auto Workers
Union and the American
Federation of LaborCongress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO).
382
In 1955, the AFL and the CIO finally reunited.
The merger occurred under the guidance of Walter
Reuther, a West Virginian who headed the United
Auto Workers and who had been a president of
the CIO. In the AFL-CIO, Reuther became a vice
president.
Labor had won basic civil rights for workers.
Unions now turned their attention to major social issues. In the 1950s and 1960s, many union
leaders were in the forefront of movements to
extend civil rights to minorities. They also worked
with government to ensure that assistance was
available to the poor and those unable to find jobs.
The West Virginia Federation of Labor helped train
antipoverty and community development leaders
in the Appalachian region. West Virginia workers
were also leaders in the movement for occupational safety and health. In 1969, the UMWA finally forced the coal industry to compensate
workers suffering from silicosis, a victory that
helped lead to more protections for all workers.
In 1972, one of the worst mining-related tragedies occurred at Buffalo Creek in Logan County.
A number of small communities were situated on
Buffalo Creek, which emptied into the Guyandotte
River near the town of Man. On February 26, after days of heavy rain,
a sludge pond owned by the Pittston Coal Company burst and released
millions of gallons of black water. The water quickly gushed through
the communities along Buffalo Creek, taking 125 lives and causing
incredible damage. More than 1,000 homes were destroyed, and 4,000
people were left homeless. The disaster at Buffalo Creek led to the
passage of a number of laws that changed how companies disposed
of coal waste. Today a memorial at Kistler, one of the communities
along Buffalo Creek, commemorates the flood and honors those who
lost their lives.
In 1993, a strike in the coal mines involving 17,000 miners in seven
states resulted in the creation of a Labor-Management Positive Change
Program. This program allows union members to take part in decision making that affects their jobs by empowering local unions to make
the mines better and safer workplaces.
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
Unions and Future
Challenges
The purpose of unions has changed from fighting for a minimum wage
to maintaining a good standard of living for all workers. The basic struggle
for unions in West Virginia took place in the coal mines, but every union
worker has added to the growing benefits that the average worker in
the state enjoys. The future for unions in this new century, however, is
not as bright as it was thirty years ago. Many industries have moved
overseas, eliminating union jobs. Some companies openly violate the
law in their desire to operate nonunion. Also, some people believe that
unions have made American business less able to compete with foreign companies. Nevertheless, many reports show that most Americans
believe that unions have an important role to play in our society. They
believe that workers should help determine wages and working conditions, and that unions have been key to healthy communities.
Above: This restored
miner’s house is located
at the Beckley Exhibition
Coal Mine. In a coal camp,
miners rented a house
according to the size of
their families.
Did You Know...?
In 2001, 13.5 percent of wage
and salary workers were union
members.
Do You Remember?
1. What laws passed in the 1930s ensured workers’ right to join a
union?
2. Why did John L. Lewis leave the AFL?
3. What are two provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act?
4. What is a right-to-work law?
Unions and Future Challenges
383
Chapter Review
Summary
Labor has played an important part in the history of West Virginia. Unions were first formed to
protect workers from unsafe working conditions and
discriminatory labor practices. In their search for
recognition, unions often found themselves involved
in violent confrontations. This was especially true
in the coalfields.
As conflicts between workers and business owners increased, the courts became involved. Injunctions were often used to try to stop strikes or control
demonstrations. The injunctions, however, were
often ignored, especially by miners. When peaceful
attempts at regulating disputes failed, state as well
as federal troops were called to maintain or restore
order.
Eventually the U.S. Congress passed legislation
to regulate labor. The Wagner and Taft-Hartley acts
are examples of such laws. After World War II, labor focused mostly on wages and benefits.
Today, some question the future of labor unions,
which have been accused of making American business less competitive in the global marketplace.
Reviewing People, Places,
and Terms
Use each of the following terms in a sentence that
describes the labor movement in West Virginia.
1. American Federation of Labor
2. blacklist
3. collective bargaining
4. injunction
5. labor union
6. right-to-work law
7. scab
8. scrip
9. strike
10. Taft-Hartley Act
11. United Mine Workers of America
384
12. workers compensation
13. yellow-dog contract
Understanding the Facts
1. Why were unions formed?
2. Why did railroad workers strike the B&O Railroad in 1877?
3. What was the first national labor union?
4. What were the “unholy four” used by coal companies against strikers? What other support did
the coal companies receive?
5. What were two common causes of death and
injury in the coal mines?
6. How did mechanization affect the labor union
movement?
7. What organization was formed to rival the AFL?
8. Why did the West Virginia legislature pass a child
labor law?
9. What happened at Buffalo Creek?
Developing Critical Thinking
1. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
strikes, citing examples from the chapter.
2. Should coal companies have been permitted to
hire armed guards? Why or why not?
3. In 1877, President Hayes sent two hundred
federal troops to end a railroad strike in Martinsburg. Should federal troops be used to put
down a strike? If so, when?
4. How did labor issues change after the end of
World War II?
5. Why did unions lose popularity after World War
II?
6. What are some of the challenges that unions
face today?
Writing Across the Curriculum
1. Write a newspaper article detailing the facts of
one of the events discussed in the chapter.
Chapter 18: The Development of Labor
2. Write a diary entry from someone who witnessed
the Matewan massacre or the Buffalo Creek
disaster.
Exploring the Internet
1. Go to the website of the federal government’s
Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, to find
current information on union membership in
the United States.
2. Visit the AFL-CIO website, www.aflcio.org, to
learn about two issues with which the union is
concerned. Report on your findings to the class.
2. Interview a union member. Ask the union member what the current objectives of his or her
union are. Find out whether the union member has been involved in any strikes.
3. Collect newspaper or magazine articles focusing on recent disagreements between management and labor.
Did You Know...?
• West Virginians suffered a great deal during the
Using Your Skills
1. In 1880, miners at unionized mines received 50
cents for each ton of loaded coal while miners
at nonunion mines were paid 38 cents. If a
worker mined 10 tons of coal a day, how much
more money would the union miner have made
for fifteen days of work?
•
Great Depression. In 1934, the average annual
income of Americans was $1,237. The average
three-bedroom house cost $2,925. A new Ford
could be bought for $535, and a gallon of gasoline for that Ford was $.19. Bread was $.08 a
loaf and milk $.44 a gallon.
Cecil Roberts from Cabin Creek in Kanawha
County became president of the United Mine
Workers on December 22, 1995. He was elected
to the position in 1997 and re-elected in 2000.
Building Skills: Reading News
Articles
Newspapers are a good way for citizens to keep informed on a wide range of topics. However, you must
be able to distinguish a news article from an editorial. Editorials mix facts and opinions and give a
newspaper’s opinions on an issue or event. A news
article does not include opinions.
Newspaper articles usually follow a standard format. The headline is written in large, bold type with
just a few key words. Its purpose is to capture the
“heart” of the story and make you want to learn
more. The size of the type often indicates the story’s
importance. The byline indicates who wrote the
story, either an individual or a news service. The
dateline includes the date and city where the story
was filed. The lead is the first sentence of the article—the most important. It summarizes the main
idea of the article and should tell you the five W’s:
who, what, where, when, and why. The body contains a more detailed account of the basic facts. The
body often contains quotations and background
facts. As you read a complete article, you will generally find fewer important details.
Look at any daily newspaper and select one of the
major stories on the front page. Answer the following questions.
1. From reading just the headline, can you tell why
the editors chose to put the article on the front
page?
2. Who wrote the story and where was it filed?
3. What are the who, what, when, where, and why
of the story?
4. After reading the article, do you think the headline accurately represented the information in
the article?
Try This!
Choose an issue from the chapter on which to
write a news article. Write the article first, then the
headline. Ask another student to see if he or she can
find the five W’s in your article.
Chapter Review
385