Final answer:
Popular agitation refers to the collective efforts of workers to seek better conditions, which often clashed with landlords' and employers' interests, leading to tension and at times violence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Popular agitation in the context of landlords and industrial employers refers to the collective actions of workers and farmers who aimed to improve their working conditions, wages, and lives. In response to economic disparities and exploitation, workers often organized into unions or took part in strikes and protests despite opposition from employers. Some employers and landlords feared that collective bargaining and socialistic ideas would reduce their profits and property rights, resulting in policies and practices designed to suppress union activities. Tensions between labor and management escalated at times into violence, reflecting the struggle to redefine the balance of power and responsibilities in a rapidly industrializing society.