in the old country—skilled workers. Recent immigrants from Eastern Europe were the unskilled laborers who had no experience in meatpacking and many had not previously earned wages. The wages ($2 or less a day) were often not enough to pay for basic needs, and many died of tuberculosis. Packingtown, though insular to its residents, was part of a network of industries that was transforming American industry and life, making Chicago a gateway city. Meatpacking—led by the “big five” of Armour, Cudahy…
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