The period from 1894 to 1915 was a period of change, unrest, and economic uncertainty for the workers of the United States. Industrialism was growing largely unchecked in the United States after the Civil War, creating new jobs and new problems simultaneously. Immigration was continuing in unprecedented numbers, especially from eastern and southern Europe, forever altering the makeup of the workforce. A depression had begun in 1893 (following two others in the previous twenty years), forcing some plants to close and many workers into the ranks of the unemployed. Disputes between labor and management were rife. But from these tumultuous years grew many of the initiatives that have continued today, including the increased presence of women in the workforce, workers' benefits, the prevalence of white-collar and retail jobs, and the need for reasonable work hours, vacations, and safe working conditions.
