The crime of poverty was when companies paid there workers less so the workers coundnt move out of there disease infested homes. The companies paid there workers less so the rich can stay rich and the poor will stay at the bottom of the economic ladder. The bosses of the multimillion dollar corporations paid government officials so they would pass bills that would later greatly benefit them
In Howard Zinns A Peples History Thomas Edison paid politicians 1000 each so they can pass a legislation to increase his fortune. Daniel Dre paid $1 million dollar to a New York legislature bribing to legalize $8 million in "wanted stock". Which means stock not representing real value. Jay Gould did the same thing.]
There was one cause that caused this "crime of poverty". The Central Pacific paid Irish and Chinease workers 2 dollars a day for a period of 4 years. The Union Pacific used war veterens and Irish immigrants to make the railway. They died by the hundreds in the heat and the cold.
The companies is to blame because they bribed the government to pass the bills to get more money , but didnt share it with the workers.Andrew Carnegie paid workers less so he would have a bigger revenue. Companies kept wages low so they could use government subsides.
Joshua, you have a strong start here, noting that the "crime" of poverty occurred largely because big business owners prioritized maximizing their personal profits over providing livable wages to their employees. You cite several examples in the second paragraph to show these low wages and the government's role in keeping them that way. However, the second paragraph is also difficult to follow; think of a way to make the sentences flow together better so these pieces of "evidence" tell a more complete story. Then tell me what workers did to fight back against this system. How did they rebel? Were they ever successful? Why or why not? What can we learn from their plight? Keep working on this. It can get better.
