The labor issue in the USA in the first half of the 20th century. The contribution of the Catholic Church to its solution

Autor

  • Marcin Graban Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Faculty of Historical Studies, Institute of History

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1899-2226.20.7.10

Słowa kluczowe:

John. A. Ryan, Catholic social thought in the USA, wages, labor conditions

Abstrakt

The stance of the Catholic Church in the United States of America on the problems related to workers’ wages is an interesting issue from the point of view of the ethics of economic life and the development of Catholic social thought. The interpretation of the main Catholic social ideas contained in Leo XIII’s encyclical letter Rerum novarum was made by Father John Augustine Ryan (1896–1945), who soon became a major proponent of the idea that a good economic policy can only result from good ethics. In the history of the United States of America, the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was a time of the development of labor unions, associations and workers’ organizations as well as the consolidation of efforts to achieve equitable remuneration (a living wage) and regulate working conditions. It was also a time of struggling with the ideas of socialism and nationalism. The Catholic Church played a significant role in the discourse on these issues, including the influence of John A. Ryan. His efforts led to one of the most important interpretations of economic life: The Program of Social Reconstruction (1919), and some of its postulates can be found in the New Deal legislation.

Bibliografia

Abell, A. I. (1946). Monsignor John A. Ryan: An historical appreciation. The Review of Politics, 8(1). American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives, The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. (hereinafter referred to as: ACUA), John A. Ryan Collection (Box 58, Reference Files Series, folder 15, Biographical articles).
Google Scholar

American Federation of Labor (1919, June 10–20). Report of Committee of Reconstruction. In Labor Policies. Reconstruction Programs and Labor Economics (pp. 1–2). Washington Federal Board for Vocational Education Employment Management Section. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 56, Reference Files Series, folder 8, Post World War I Reconstruction, Bishop’s Program).
Google Scholar

Bodnar, J. (Ed.). (1982). Workers’ world. Kinship, community, and protest in an industrial society 1900–1940. Baltimore: John Hopkins Univ. Press.
Google Scholar

Broderick, F. L. (1963). Right Reverend New Dealer: John A. Ryan. New York: Macmillan.
Google Scholar

Catholicus [John A. Ryan]. (1901, October). A Catholic view of socialism. International Socialist Review [copy]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 9).
Google Scholar

Chałasiński, J. (1970). Kultura amerykańska. Formowanie się kultury narodowej w Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki. Warszawa: Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza.
Google Scholar

Chinnici, J. P. (1986). Spiritual capitalism and the culture of American Catholicism. U.S. Catholic Historian, 5(2), 131–161.
Google Scholar

The Constitution of the United States, http://constitutionus.com
Google Scholar

Faulkner, H. U. (1943). American political and social history. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Google Scholar

Faulkner, H. U., & Starr, M. (1958). Labor in America. New York: Oxford Book.
Google Scholar

Gabaccia, D. R. (1995). Imigracja do Stanów Zjednoczonych, 1848–1917. In W. Nugent, & H. Parafinowicz (Eds.), Historia Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki, Vol. 3 (1848–1917) (pp. 185–209). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Google Scholar

Hard, W. (1920, January). The Catholic Church accepts the challenge. Metropolitan [copy]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 57, Reference Files Series, folder 3).
Google Scholar

Hourwich, I. A. (1912). Immigration and labor. The economic aspects of European immigration to the United States. New York, London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Google Scholar

Ireland, J. (1885). The Catholic Church equally opposed to anarchy and to despotism, the guardian of society, the defender of true liberty. In The memorial volume. A history of the third plenary council of Baltimore (November 9 – December 7, 1884) (pp. 11–32). Baltimore: The Baltimore Publishing.
Google Scholar

Leszczyński, A. (2015). Pieniądze za nic. Polityka, 14, 53–55.
Google Scholar

Lewicki, Z. (2012). Historia cywilizacji amerykańskiej. Era konsolidacji 1861–1945. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar.
Google Scholar

Luce, S. (2012). Living wage policies and campaigns: Lessons from the United States. International Journal of Labour Research, 4(1), 11–26.
Google Scholar

Małajny, R. M. (1992). “Mur separacji” – państwo a Kościół w Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.
Google Scholar

McShane, J. M. (1986). Sufficiently radical. Catholicism, progressivism, and the Bishops’ Program of 1919. Washington: Catholic University Press.
Google Scholar

Napierała, P. (2015). In God We Trust. Religia w sferze publicznej USA. Kraków: Księgarnia Akademicka.
Google Scholar

Pastoral Letter of the Archbishops and Bishops of the United States Assembled in Conference at the Catholic University of America, September 1919. (1920). Washington: The National Catholic Welfare Council.
Google Scholar

Piekoszewski, J. (1989). Katolicyzm amerykański. Lublin: Redakcja Wydawnictw Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego.
Google Scholar

Purcell, R. J. (1946, June). John A. Ryan. Prophet of Social Justice. Studies. ACUA, Ryan Collection (Box 58, Reference File Series, folder 15, Biographical articles).
Google Scholar

Rayback, J. G. (1966). A history of American labor. Expanded and updated. New York: The Free Press.
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1908). The study of social problems in the seminary. Proceedings of the Catholic Educational Association. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series 1900–1919, folder 10).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1910, September 3). Minimum wages and Minimum Wages Board. The Survey, 810–811. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 10).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1911). A minimum wage by legislation. St. Louis. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 11).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1912). A living wage its ethical and economic aspects. New York: Macmillan.
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1912, April). A living wage. Common Chase?, p. 11. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermons Series, folder 11).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1913). Minimum Wage Legislation. The Catholic World, 46. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 12).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1920). The state and the social distress. The Catholic Charities Review, 4(1). ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 63, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 4).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1920, April 17). The church and economics. America. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 63, Writing, Speeches, and Sermons series, folder 4).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1921, July 3). The state and labor. America. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 63, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 5).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (1941). A social doctrine in action. A personal history. New York, London: Harper and Brothers.
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). A Constitutional Amendment for Labor Legislation [typescript]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermon Series, folder 19).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). Church and economic problems [typescript]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermons Series, folder 16).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). Labor’s Program of Reconstruction [copy of the article, unspecified source]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writings, Speeches and Sermons Series, folder 15).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). The Catholic Church and public ownership [typescript]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 63, Writings, Speeches and Sermons Series, 1910–1928, folder 2).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). The Church and the radical social movements [typescript]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 63, Writings, Speeches and Sermons Series, folder 3).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). The Church and the social question [typescript]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 63, Writings, Speeches and Sermons Series, folder 16).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A. (n.d.). The right and wrong of the labor union [typescript]. ACUA, John A. Ryan Collection (Box 62, Writing, Speeches and Sermons Series, folder 19).
Google Scholar

Ryan, J. A., & Husslein J. (Eds.). (1920). The Program of social reconstruction. Issued by the four American bishops constituting the Administrative Committee of the National Catholic War Council. In The church and the labor. New York: Macmillan Co.
Google Scholar

Scheiber, H. N., Vatter, H. G., & Faulkner, H. U. (1976). American economic history. New York: Harper and Row.
Google Scholar

Sherman, P. T. (1920, September 25). Catholic “Social Reconstruction Program” analyzed. The National Civic Federation Review. ACUA John A. Ryan Collection (Box 57, Reference Files Series, folder 4).
Google Scholar

Sullivan, P. J. (2014). Catholic labor priests in the United States. A 20th century story of solidarity (Vol. 1, Five Giants in the Bishops’ Social Action Department Among More Than Four Hundred U. S. Catholic Labor Priests). Washington D.C.: Pacem in Terris Press.
Google Scholar

Swing, R. (1919, March 29). The Catholic view of reconstruction. The Nation. ACUA John A. Ryan Collection (Box 57, Reference Files Series, folder 4).
Google Scholar

Walaszek, A. (1988). Polscy robotnicy, praca i związki zawodowe w Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki, 1880–1922. Wrocław–Warszawa–Kraków–Gdańsk–Łódź: Ossolineum.
Google Scholar

Whittelsey, S. S. (1905). Massachusetts labor legislation. In J. R. Commons (Ed.), Trade Unionism and Labor Problems (pp. 482–508). Boston, New York, Chicago, London: Ginn and Co.
Google Scholar

Opublikowane

2019-02-25

Jak cytować

Graban, M. (2019). The labor issue in the USA in the first half of the 20th century. The contribution of the Catholic Church to its solution. Annales. Etyka W Życiu Gospodarczym, 20(7), 131–148. https://doi.org/10.18778/1899-2226.20.7.10

Numer

Dział

Artykuł