Animals are part of the Working Class: A Challenge to Labor History Jason Hribal Labor History Vol.

44, No. 4, 2003 Madison Rogers History 1483 TR 9-10:15am December 2, 2013

In early America, animals bought a whole new meaning to the country. They were developed into this world for the rise in agriculture and the industry. Sheep, cows, horses, pigs, chickens were considered a part of the animals or in other words livestock that did the labor. The word livestock came from this era where the animals were the way of the people to make a profit off their farms or within factories. These creatures are treated as chattel slaves to be bought and sold at will (Hribal, p. 436). I believe that they were making an impact on the lives of the working class, livestock being pushed to their limits and getting nothing in return for their hard work. The rights of these animals were being put to test whether to treat the animals like slaves was the right choice. For example, one of the ways that the sheep were used in the society was their source of wool to make the clothing. Hribal states, a wild condition this was open pastures, moors, and the woodlands, and it was no golden age (Hribal, p. 436). I believe that this wasnt a way of living for the sheep they needed to have pens build. Sheep werent made just to roam because they were called the grazers of the bunch that would eat anything. This caused big concern to their health. Also, they were put in pastures to fix the fields, literally eat whatever was in their path of destruction. Before long the breeding of sheep got out of hand and the few that were born without large bodies were killed immediately. Eventually the sheep were put into what was called sheep houses to prevent their wool from being damaged. If the wool was damaged then the owners wouldnt make any profit off that certain sheep since the major goal was the production of wool. Another creature that was a part of this class was the cattle. The owners examined every part of the cattle not missing one inch. The cattle that didnt meet their expectations were taken out of the herd which led to them losing profit off of those. The prevalence of consumption

related items, especially the faunal remains, bottle glass, and tobacco pipe fragments near the enclosure (Brooks, p. 104). I believe the facilities or in other words the cowpen was no good use to the livestock. Trash and other resources were in the pen with the cattle taking chances on getting injured before slaughter time comes. The ones that met the requirements were used for the meat industry, the longer the men kept them around the more meat they would have when it came time to slaughter the animal. The major goal of the cattle was to be able to put food on the table for the working class, in which it didnt benefit the creature in any way. Today, cattle are looked at from a whole new perspective they are seen as the biggest reproducing in the industry and it will only continue to grow. Pigs were another creature that wasnt able to benefit for their job either. I know a merchant who, from what I am told kills every year between twenty and twenty-five thousand pigs (Hribal, p. 439). I believe that this didnt solve any of the problems that were being faced in early America. They were a source of labor within the family, if the pigs werent doing their job they would kick them back into the field. Eventually they were also taken to slaughter for the pork and putting food on the tables for the families. The meat consumption in the United States rose drastically in time with the slaughtering of animals which meant the profit for the working class also rose. Genovese agrees this overland trade eventually gave way to railroad shipments, especially of bulk pork (Genovese, p. 114). They were taking advantage of every opportunity that was thrown their way to make money continuing to ships very large amounts of pork to different states in America. Next was the dairy and egg industries began to grow. They found out that the milk production was a great side business within the farm. The chickens were used to make the eggs and hens were used for the reproduction. As soon as the male chickens were born, they would

get rid of them because they didnt have any benefits to the working class; basically they were useless. The female chickens were separated, they had some that would just be used to raise the young and then having the other half to just lay eggs. They made profit off both the milk and eggs because it was in great demand of milking cattle and having the chickens. Eventually the horse was introduced into part of the working class. With inventions such as the two-horse straddle-row cultivator and the gang plow, farmers were able to more easily shift from human-powered to animal-powered farming (Nosotro). I understood that they would hook of small wooden plows to them and they would drag them around fields to plow for the farmers. Once the cotton gin was developed the horses were producing twice the amount, working all hours of the day. I believe that this did benefit the farmers because they didnt have to be out in the field plowing it up by hand. Today, in society horses would be used to attend a rodeo event or being on a ranch gathering cattle. No matter what kind of animal it was, it was going to be used for some source in Early America. The working class would do anything and use everything to their advantage whether it was on the farm or in a factory. They knew they could use any type of livestock to get the job done and earn money to have a living for their family. Livestock being pushed to their limits, I believe they were to make a difference in this world within farmers. But it should also teach the farmers a way of life, to be able to earn stuff on their own instead of finding the easy way out. I believe to buy and sell the animals for a purpose which you have owned them for a while. Treat an animal the same as you would treat a human. In early America, the livestock werent being demonstrated in a way that they should have been. Finally as the years grew on the livestock eventually got a better form of living. Burton states, as livestock numbers increased, cultivators petitioned for more distant property,

where their animals could graze and forage without damaging crops (Burton, p. 121). They were placed in pastures or within pens where nothing could harm them and get the necessary nutrients in order to survive. But, I believe the animals still being treated like slaves was no way out. Today, in American society livestock is bought to teach young children to have responsibly and dedication in what they truly love. I believe success is determined by how much hard work is put into the project and the money or profit will eventually fall into place.

Bibliography Burton, H., S. (2005) Southwestern Historical Quarterly. To Establish a Stock Farm for the Raising of Mules, Horses, Horned Cattle, Sheep and Hogs. Vol. 109, Issue 1, p. 99-132, 348. Brooks, D., R., Groover, D., M. (1996) Southeastern Archaeology. Material Characteristics of Cattle Raisers in South Carolina Backcountry. Vol. 22, Issue 1, p. 92-109. Genovese, D., Eugene. (1962) Agricultural History. Livestock in the Slave Economy of the Old South. Vol. 36, Issue 3, p. 143-149. Hribal, J. (2003). Labor History. Animals are part of the Working Class: A Challenge to Labor History. Vol. 44, No. 4, p. 436-453. Nosotro, R. (n.d). Technological Advances of American Agriculture. http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t4w24agricultural-technology.htm Retrieved November 15, 2013.