- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: The average work week in the 1890s was 100 hours
Posted on 7/21/20 at 11:58 am to sgallo3
Posted on 7/21/20 at 11:58 am to sgallo3
I've seen that number a few times recently, and I'm not sure I buy it.
100 hours divided by 6 days a week is 16.67 hours per day. Average daylight length in the US is like 13 hours per day.
100 hours divided by 6 days a week is 16.67 hours per day. Average daylight length in the US is like 13 hours per day.
2
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:01 pm to theGarnetWay
quote:
For about 99% of it 99% of all humans that have ever existed - save for small upper classes in every society - survived by hard labor. Whether it was farming or learning a laborious craft mostly used to buy food.
this is actually false. hunter-gatherers had a lot of free time according to the newest theories of their day to day life
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:04 pm to Joshjrn
quote:
100 hours divided by 6 days a week is 16.67 hours per day. Average daylight length in the US is like 13 hours per day.
the one i read said Sundays were half-days
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:05 pm to sgallo3
They were very miserable. Men worked 100 hr weeks in crappy conditions and then drank uncontrollably to deal with it. Then they went home and savagely beat their wife and whichever kids hadn’t died from Typhoid yet
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:08 pm to kywildcatfanone
quote:
They didn't have time for looting and rioting.
Um, strikes and riots were a major reason for labor reform.
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:09 pm to sgallo3
quote:
this is actually false. hunter-gatherers had a lot of free time according to the newest theories of their day to day life
So you just said it's actually false but then said that conclusion based on theories? That doesn't seem like a scientifically sound comment.
This post was edited on 7/21/20 at 12:10 pm
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:10 pm to sgallo3
quote:
the one i read said Sundays were half-days
Gets you down to 15.4, but still. And even if you went a full seven days, that's 14.3 hours per day.
Do we have people who do that kind of turn around now with all of the tech we have? Sure. But in the late 1800's? Just not sure I buy it as an "average work week".
This post was edited on 7/21/20 at 12:11 pm
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:11 pm to Joshjrn
quote:
I've seen that number a few times recently, and I'm not sure I buy it.
100 hours divided by 6 days a week is 16.67 hours per day. Average daylight length in the US is like 13 hours per day.
People used to start work before the sun came up. If you had cows you were up a 3am. I remember my grandfather stopping work to come in and eat breakfast at 5am.
This post was edited on 7/21/20 at 12:14 pm
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:15 pm to eScott
quote:
People used to start work before the sun came up. If you had cows you were up a 3am. I remember my grandfather stopping work to come in and eat breakfast at 5am.
quote:
In 1890, when the government first tracked workers' hours, the average workweek for full-time manufacturing employees was 100 hours and 102 hours for building tradesmen.
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:18 pm to Joshjrn
My grandfather worked in manufacturing. (1930s) He quit his job and went into business for his self.(also manufacturing)
I was in no way implying that me as a kid in the 1890s I remember that. My statement still stands people worked before the sun came up.
I was in no way implying that me as a kid in the 1890s I remember that. My statement still stands people worked before the sun came up.
This post was edited on 7/21/20 at 12:21 pm
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:20 pm to LegendInMyMind
(no message)
This post was edited on 7/24/20 at 8:54 am
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:24 pm to eScott
quote:
My grandfather worked in manufacturing. He quit his job and went into business for his self.(also manufacturing)
I was in no way implying that me as a kid in the 1890s I remember that. My statement still stands people worked before the sun came up.
My point is that the numbers being cited pertain to tradesmen, not farmers. Just because he had a few cows doesn't mean he gets to include that in his work week anymore than someone keeping chickens now. But even farmers don't work those kind of hours all year, which would substantially impact their "average work week".
Again, not saying people didn't work crazy hard back then. I'm just not buying that the "average worker" worked 5,200 hours a year, every year, in 1890.
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:26 pm to BatonrougeCajun
quote:
They were very miserable. Men worked 100 hr weeks in crappy conditions and then drank uncontrollably to deal with it. Then they went home and savagely beat their wife and whichever kids hadn’t died from Typhoid yet
Makes sense, can you imagine working like that for you whole life and then hear your wife complain about how hard her day was?
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:26 pm to WallsAllAroundMe
quote:
I was going to say something very similar. How long have they been working on Government Street here?? A simple street, and even the new parts of it are bumpy and not level at all, and STILL not complete. I was speaking with my dad the other day about this. How is it we could build the Basin Bridge, Mississippi River Bridge, and the Causeway...all in his lifetime?
Huge difference between new construction and modification of existing roadways.
Put another way, are you going to be the one to tell every home and business on Government that they need to pack up and move out for the next few months so that the project can finish more quickly?
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:27 pm to sgallo3
Looks to be about 60 to 70 hours a week.
Table 1
Estimated Average Weekly Hours Worked in Manufacturing, 1830-1890
Year Weeks Report Aldrich Report
1830 69.1
1840 67.1 68.4
1850 65.5 69.0
1860 62.0 66.0
1870 61.1 63.0
1880 60.7 61.8
1890 60.0
LINK
quote:
Much of what is known about average work hours in the nineteenth century comes from two surveys of manufacturing hours taken by the federal government. The first survey, known as the Weeks Report, was prepared by Joseph Weeks as part of the Census of 1880. The second was prepared in 1893 by Commissioner of Labor Carroll D. Wright, for the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Nelson Aldrich. It is commonly called the Aldrich Report. Both of these sources, however, have been criticized as flawed due to problems such as sample selection bias (firms whose records survived may not have been typical) and unrepresentative regional and industrial coverage. In addition, the two series differ in their estimates of the average length of the workweek by as much as four hours. These estimates are reported in Table 1. Despite the previously mentioned problems, it seems reasonable to accept two important conclusions based on these data — the length of the typical manufacturing workweek in the 1800s was very long by modern standards and it declined significantly between 1830 and 1890.
Table 1
Estimated Average Weekly Hours Worked in Manufacturing, 1830-1890
Year Weeks Report Aldrich Report
1830 69.1
1840 67.1 68.4
1850 65.5 69.0
1860 62.0 66.0
1870 61.1 63.0
1880 60.7 61.8
1890 60.0
LINK
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:28 pm to theGarnetWay
LINK
Well the studies show they had to work 15-20 hours a week. So even if they are significantly off i feel pretty confident saying they worked less than 100 hours a week
quote:
So you just said it's actually false but then said that conclusion based on theories? That doesn't seem like a scientifically sound comment.
Well the studies show they had to work 15-20 hours a week. So even if they are significantly off i feel pretty confident saying they worked less than 100 hours a week
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:28 pm to Joshjrn
Reread what you quoted, then reread your response. Nobody is talking about farmers but you.
Your numbers only take into account daylight hours. That's false.
Your numbers only take into account daylight hours. That's false.
This post was edited on 7/21/20 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:28 pm to FearTheFish
quote:
you can thank unions for this change.
Unions were great and necessary back then. Have now outlived their purpose and causing problems because they’ve become about making money for those in charge, not for the ones they claim to protect. You could say the same for the current “civil rights” movements. Both have jumped the shark but still being propped up.
This post was edited on 7/21/20 at 12:33 pm
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:31 pm to DemonKA3268
quote:
Don't disagree with this. Everything took longer back then as well.
Building a building or a bridge certainly didn't.
Posted on 7/21/20 at 12:35 pm to eScott
quote:
Reread what you quoted, then reread your response. Nobody is talking about farmers but you.
Your numbers only take into account daylight hours. That's false.
The literal first sentence of the linked page talks about people in manufacturing and trade, and you brought up your grandfather tending cows. You also edited your post repeatedly.
So, would you like to convey what you intended a bit more clearly?
Page 3 of 5
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News