Other
United Farm Workers: The Rise of the Ufw
History of the United Farm Workers union, with information about 1960 conditions and the efforts to improve them.
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association: Labor Organizations
The history of the labor movement in Texas is examined, beginning during the Republic of Texas. The article discusses the different labor organizations that formed in various industries, and how these evolved over time. As immigration...
Digital History
Digital History: Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor
A good look at not only Samuel Gompers and the formation of the American Federation of Labor, but also of the course of unionism in general, its successes and failures, its goals, and membership in the late 19th century.
University of Washington
University of Washington: Strikes and Unions
The Great Depression built the modern labor movement by growing and strengthening unions. Follow the labor movement through a day-by-day database of newspaper articles chronicling strikes in Washington State. Additionally, students can...
Other
New York University: Labor Arts
Numerous collections of cartoons, buttons, posters, murals, photographs, and similar artifacts, all pertaining to history of American labor, especially its drive to organize and its history of protest. Stretches back to the earliest days...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Industrializing America
Comprehensive teaching unit that explores the "second industrial revolution" and the mass production of consumer goods. This, in turn, caused an increase in the labor force and immigration. Learn how these changes brought about the start...
University of Maryland
University of Maryland: The Samuel Gompers Papers
Site from the University of Maryland provides primary source documents, a brief history of the labor movement, and biographical information about Samuel Gompers. A great resource for teachers and students.
University of North Carolina
Unc: History of the Negro Church: Electronic Edition
This website is quite unique, in that it compiles historical data in a segmented form of the birth and evolution of Black Christianity in America. Carter G. Woodson, one of the most respected names relative to the anthology of the Negro,...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: America in Class: America in the 1920s: Prosperity: Labor Union
The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards historical documents, literary texts, and works of art thematically organized with notes and discussion questions....
Chicago History Museum
Chicago Historical Society: The Dramas of Haymarket
The Chicago Historical Society presents extensive information about the 1886 bombing at Haymarket Square that helped change the course of the labor movement. Read about the bombing, arrests, trial, executions, and other events that...
Britain Express
Britain Express: History: The Victorian Age: Chartism
A history of the Chartist Movement in England from its origins in 1838 with the "People's Charter," to its demise in 1848.
University of Houston
University of Houston: An American Industrial Revolution Unit: Rise of Labor
Students learn about the history of the labor movement in Industrial America, including some of the major unions that emerged and the most well-known strikes. Next, they make connections to the role of unions today. They then work in...
University of Iowa
Child Labor in u.s. History
Article that summarizes the history of child labor in the United States with a timeline of events that occurred in the U.S. labor movement and with child labor reform from 1832 up to 1938 and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Provides links...
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: American Industrial Revolution
Aimed at middle school teachers and students, this resource contains lists of labor links. It includes a brief history of strikes, the Knights of Labor and the AFL.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: Labor Battles in the Gilded Age
Discusses the Homestead Strike of 1892 and the Pullman Strike of 1894 and how these ended, as well as responses of the federal government to the labor movement. Includes questions for students at end.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Stirrings of Reform
The democratic upheaval in politics exemplified by Jackson's election was merely one phase of the long American quest for greater rights and opportunities for all citizens. Another was the beginning of labor organization, primarily among...
Other
U.s. History Timeline: 1865 1900
A thumbnail look at the many things occurring in the United States in the last half half of the 19th century. The topics covered are Gilded Age Politics, the "New Imperialism," Industrial America, Growth of Labor, Urbanization,...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Progressive Movement 1890 1920: Progressivism at the Grassroots Level
Read about some of the grassroots movements at the heart of Progressivism, and the changes they were pushing for and what they accomplished. Discusses labor issues, including the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Also discusses...
Other
Key People in Labor History: Mother Jones (1837 1930)
Once called "the most dangerous woman in America", Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was one of the great organizers of the labor and union movements.
Steven Kreis, PhD
The History Guide: Lech Walesa
A brief biography of Lech Walesa and the independent labor movement in Poland. Describes how labor used strikes to improve their working conditions and qualities of life. Their struggles have been an inspiration to labor movements all...
Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: Labor in America
A rich collection of resources, including primary sources, student activities, and lesson plans, to support study of Americans at work in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Other
Labor Arts: Solidarity Forever: A Look at Wobbly Culture
An excellent collection of artifacts that highlight the aims and aspirations of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Members of the IWW, known as Wobblies, played a unique role in the American labor movement. Artifacts include...
University of Maryland
Howard County History Labs: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire [Pdf]
In order to use this source to assess students' historical thinking skills, students should understand the history of industrialization and the working conditions typical of late nineteenth-century factories. Students will analyze...
Hartford Web Publishing
World History Archives: Indispensable Ally: Black Workers, Formation of the Cio
This article relates the history of African Americans in the union movement during the Great Depression. Read about the importance of black membership in the CIO, the ILA, and the steel industry.