Introduction / Context:
Samuel Gompers was one of the most important leaders in the early United States labor movement. He helped organise workers into unions and argued that they should join together to bargain for better wages, hours, and working conditions. Understanding his role helps learners see how unions became a major force in industrial society. This question asks which industrial issue Gompers strongly supported.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The person named is Samuel Gompers.
- The context is industrial and labor issues in the United States.
- The options describe different economic ideas, such as trusts, vertical integration, and unions.
- The learner is expected to link Gompers with unions, not with big business or anti union campaigns.
Concept / Approach:
Samuel Gompers was a founding leader of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). He believed that workers could improve their lives by organising into trade unions and negotiating with employers through collective bargaining. He did not fight for the formation of large trusts or for the destruction of unions; instead, he worked to build and strengthen unions and to gain practical improvements for workers. Vertical integration and child labor were issues related to business structure and exploitation, not goals of Gompers. Therefore, the correct answer must mention the formation and strengthening of labor unions.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall who Samuel Gompers was: a major union leader and the first long term president of the American Federation of Labor.
2. Remember that his main goal was to organise workers and win concrete gains through collective bargaining.
3. Look at the options and identify the one that connects him directly with the formation of labor unions.
4. Recognise that trusts and vertical integration describe big business strategies, not workers organisations.
5. Understand that crushing unions and using child labor are positions often associated with employers resisting reform, not with Gompers aims.
6. Select the option that states the formation and strengthening of labor unions for workers.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, learners can recall that when Gompers is mentioned in history textbooks, it is usually in a chapter on the growth of unions and the labour movement. He is described as a practical leader who focused on skilled workers and on raising wages, shortening hours, and improving conditions. There is no serious historical account that presents Gompers as a champion of trusts or an enemy of unions. This confirms that the option mentioning the formation of labor unions is correctly aligned with his role in history.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The formation of large business trusts relates to big companies combining to reduce competition, which many Progressives and labor leaders actually opposed.
The crushing of labor unions describes the actions of some employers and government forces who tried to break strikes, not the goals of union leaders like Gompers.
Vertical integration involves a company controlling all stages of production from raw materials to final sale, a business strategy unrelated to Gompers main work.
Supporting child labor would go against the labor movement focus on protecting workers, including younger workers, from exploitation.
Common Pitfalls:
Some students may see the words industrial issue and immediately think about big business strategies such as trusts or vertical integration, missing the fact that the question is about a labor leader. Others may not remember the name Samuel Gompers and guess randomly. To avoid confusion, learners should link Gompers name firmly with the AFL and with union building. When they see his name, they should think of workers organising, not of monopolies or anti union policies. This mental connection makes it easy to choose the option about labor unions in exam questions.
Final Answer:
The correct answer is
The formation and strengthening of labor unions for workers.
Discussion & Comments