Final answer:
American workers in the 1800s and early 1900s tolerated difficult conditions and low pay because alternative employment was limited, labor unions had limited power, and there was a large supply of labor that kept wages low.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, American workers tolerated long hours and poor conditions for low pay primarily because alternative employment was limited. Decades after the Civil War, most employees worked in factories or similar urban environments, where they faced extensive exploitation with minimal legal protections. Workplaces were often dehumanizing and poorly paid, and those workers' wages were insufficient for a decent living. The punishing labor conditions were compounded by the fact that wage workers, including women and children, were hired for the lowest possible wages. However, the few options available outside of industrial labor were also grueling, with jobs like agriculture, mining, and railroad work posing their own significant challenges. Labor unions existed but had limited power and were often met with public disdain, especially following violent labor strikes. This left the majority of American laborers unrepresented, struggling not only with their work conditions but also with the influx of immigrants willing to work for even lower wages, making labor an even cheaper commodity for factory owners.