From Walter Lindner's Progressive Party pamphlet, this detailed description of the Flint sit-down strike of 1936-1937 outlines the causes and results of the UAW's collective action.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart focuses on the Haymarket Riot, the Homestead Strike, and the Pullman Strike.

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...

This site contains a description of the Haymarket Tragedy, and also includes many related topics.

Excerpt from U.S. Strike Commission Report. Site also provides focus questions at the bottom.

An article about the origin of Labor Day.

This high school lesson focuses on the Homestead Strike of 1892. Students are asked to write an essay explaining why the strike occurred and how the Carnegie Company went about winning the strike. Included are twenty-seven primary source...

A discussion of the railroad strike of 1877 as it affected particularly Illinois. Read about how the strikes were put down violently and who was blamed for the work stoppages.

Read about how the Railroad Strike of 1877 was a first in many ways in labor history. This article sets up the reasons for the strike and the mixed results.

Given background information and primary source documents, learners will write an essay describing the events of the Pullman Strike of 1894 organized around a theme.

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.

Read about the Railroad Strike of 1877 that started in Pennsylvania and spread across the Midwest. Find out about the violence against the strikers and the use of the military to end the strike.

This article from the Encyclopedia of Chicago explains how a strike by railroad workers in West Virginia eventually made its way to Chicago and was taken up by workers from many industries. See how city officials resolved this general...

An interesting article about the strike against the Little Steel companies in Ohio in 1937. It describes the use of the sit-down strike by the unionized steel workers.

An article from Workers World describes the Bread and Roses Strike and explains why it ended up to be so effective. One interesting aspect is that there were immigrants working in the Lawrence textile mills speaking 25 different...

An explanation of the formation of the National Women's Trade Union League of America that brought together working class women and professional women. Read about what their goals were for women in the workforce. Find links to primary...

Chapter 9 provides an overview of the profound changes labor has undergone from agrarian times to a modern industrial state in the 20th Century and outlines the significance and history of organized labor.

Ohio History Central gives a brief summary of the actions and goals of the Knights of Labor in the last half of the 19th century. Find out about their push for improved working conditions and whether striking was advantageous or not in...

Due to the strife incurred by garment workers at the turn of the century, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) was formed. Read about its history and its relevancy in the 21st century.

This article discusses women's roles in the Knights of Labor.

This resource gives an account of the Pullman Strike of 1894. It discusses what the strike was about, how it was resolved, and the effect its outcome had.

This several page chapter from the site From Revolution to Reconstruction outlines the growth of the union in the railroad industry in the late 19th century. Read about the strikes, working conditions, the beginning of the American...

1896, A Website of Political Cartoons and Commentary provides the illustrated story of both the Homestead and Pullman strikes with quotes from newspapers of the time and a brief characterization of Andrew Carnegie. The site includes a...

The Gilded Age was a period of terrible labor violence, as industrialists and workers fought for control of the workplace. Workers organized the first large American labor unions during the Gilded Age, while employers tried to stop the...