Mary  Neal
Gove
Nichols

1837 
An economic crash brought years of depression.  Jobs became scarce, wages skidded, hours of work grew longer and cordwainers, weavers, ironworkers, printers, tailors and other craftsmen found themselves in serious straits.  As individuals, they were helpless - forced to either accept the terms the employer offered or starve.  Workmen began to form “societies” and “associations” whereby members bound themselves not to work for less than a minimum rate of pay, and not to work for an employer who hired men who did not belong to their groups.  Employers charged the societies to be in violation of common law, which forbade conspiracies to injure others.  Lawsuits ensued and the era of camaraderie between the working class and the wealthy ended. [1]