History of Labor in the United States
1842 Commonwealth of Mass. vs. Hunt – This Massachusetts Supreme Court decision was the first that
legalized labor unions.
After the Civil War, the United States began to industrialize. During the Gilded Age, the rise of big
business coincided with deteriorating working conditions. The government’s mostly laissez-faire
philosophy did not compel business leaders to address these issues. As a result, the labor union
movement formed, although with a slow pace, much to the dismay of the more radical leaders.
1869 Uriah Stephens formed the Knights of Labor. At first, this was a secret society of workers. It was
open to all workers. When the Knights replaced Stephens with Terence Powderly, it became a larger
force in society.
1877 Great Railroad Strike – A large strike against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads led to violence and
much of the railroad traffic coming to a halt. A labor union was not responsible for this strike. Instead,
workers reacted to a cut in their wages without the assistance of a union. President Rutherford B. Hayes
called in federal troops, state by state, to be an end to the strike. Over 100 people died during the 45 day
strike.
1886 Haymarket Riot – Members of the Knights of Labor protested in Chicago for an eight-hour
workday, better wages and improved working conditions. During the protest, anarchists were also
present. Someone threw a bomb at the cops, killing seven and injuring 60. Four workers were also killed
during the affair. Eight men were arrested for the crime, even though there was no evidence to implicate
them in the crime. The Chicago Tribune even offered to pay the jurors money if they found them guilty.
All eight were found guilty, with seven sentenced to death. One man was found dead in his cell (suicide
or murder?) while Samuel Gompers was able to convince the governor to commute the sentences to life.
1886 American Federation of Labor – This union was founded by Samuel Gompers, largely as a response
to the decline of the Knights of Labor. This union was organized along craft lines. Gompers attempted to
gain better conditions for workers without going on strike.
1890 Sherman Anti-trust Act – This congressional legislation was intended to limit the impact of
monopolies, but instead, it was used to limit the growth of labor unions.
1892 Homestead Strike – Workers at Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead Company went on strike. Henry
Clay Frick was in charge of the company while Carnegie was out of the country. Frick called in 300
private security detectives called Pinkertons to end the strike. Seven Pinkertons and 11 workers were
killed.
1894 Pullman Strike – Following the Panic of 1893, George Pullman cut the wages of his workers but
kept their rent the same. He had built a town for his workers to live in. Led by Eugene V. Debs, the
workers organized a strike that shut down much of the railroad activity in the region. President Grover
Cleveland called in the National Guard to end the strike because he argued that it was interfering with the
transit of the mail.
1905 IWW – Industrial Workers of the World was founded in Chicago by a group of Marxists, Socialists,
and anarchists. Some of the leaders included William “Big Bill” Haywood and Eugene V. Debs. They were
called the Wobblies. This was the most radical of the labor groups. The motto was “an injury to one is an
injury to all.” It was the only labor group to include ALL workers.
1902 Anthracite Coal Miners’ Strike – Coal miners threatened to go on strike as winter approached.
President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to take over the coal mines if the workers and owners did not
settle their differences.
1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire – I am assuming everyone knows this event.
1912 Massachusetts passed the first minimum wage law.
1913 Department of Labor was established.
1914 Ludlow Massacre – This conflict in Colorado involved the National Guard firing at striking mine
workers. Over 75 people were killed in the dispute.
1919 Red Scare – Some workers were targeted for their connections to socialism.
1927 Sacco and Vanzetti – Two Italian immigrants who were labor activists were arrested for murder
and sentenced to death, even though there was no evidence against them.
1933 Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member, appointed by FDR as Secretary of Labor.
1935 Wagner Act – During the New Deal, FDR signed this act that protected labor unions, allowing them
to use collective bargaining with their employers. This was one of the most pro-labor union acts ever
passed and is often referred to as the “Magna Carta” for labor unions.
1947 Taft-Hartley Act – Passed over Truman’s veto, this act limited much of the advances for labor
union that were made with the Wagner Act.
1955 AFL merged with the CIO
Unions today are facing an uphill battle. I will explain this in class for anyone who is interested.
Emma Goldman – Use this excellent PBS site for research on this individual.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldman/peopleevents/p_goldman.html
William “Big Bill” Haywood
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/d_h/haywood.htm
Eugene V. Debs
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/peopleevents/p_debs.html