There were sweatshops in the USA as early as the 1800s. Trade unions for men were not uncommon in Europe at this time. But Europe was more developed economically, so their 'fairness and equality' movements began far earlier than in the USA. Europe, however, would come to influence the laborers in the USA and give them a 'leg up' on organizing.
In Europe the unions would be called trade unions, but, throughout the region and long before the 19th century the average village would have 'guilds' of trade practices. The concept of 'guilds' still persists today in many of the arts.
It was mechanization that would bring about poverty while replacing laborers and cause society to re-examine its values and the value of human labor. In the 19th Century organized labor unions would seek to protect only 5% of the workers in the USA. That would hit an all time low after any economic depression as hungry people would gladly work for a mere existence. So to say economic collapse for whatever reason it occurred isn't desirable by the wealthy is a gross misunderstanding of such events in history.
