Other
Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: Little Steel Strike
A brief look at the steel workers' strike against the steel producers in Ohio. Read how the strike progressed, and how it was eventually resolved.
Ohio History Central
Ohio History Central: Industrial Workers of the World
A very brief description of the Industrial Workers of the World and what they represented.
Other
Afl Cio: Eugene Victor Debs (1855 1926)
Debs began his association with labor issues at an early age starting with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. He went on to be active in the American Railway Union, the Socialist Party of America, and the Industrial Workers of the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Gilded Age
The United States had an industrial resurgence after the Civil War. Read about the growth of big business in many areas and the men associated with these businesses. See also the people who did not prosper during this time and evaluate...
Other
Wyo History: The Rock Springs Massacre
Read this very detailed description of the Rock Springs Massacre and the circumstances that led up to it. Find out why Chinese immigrants became the focus of hatred and discrimination.
Curated OER
History Matters: "To This We Dissented": The Rock Springs Riot
Read the description of the Rock Springs massacre written by the Chinese workers who lived through the massacre and presented to the Chinese Consul in New York. Included is a report of an investigation of those who died in the massacre....
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: President Franklin D. Roosevelt
This companion to the PBS series surveys the career of the longest-serving president in U.S. history and leader through the Great Depression and World War II.
University of Pennsylvania
Mary Harris Mother Jones
A short, easy-to-understand biography of Mother Jones (1837-1930 CE) who was active in union and labor movements.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: American Federation of Labor
Samuel Gompers, master organizer, had a vision of a national union that would have economic clout, but would steer clear of politics. Read about his organization of skilled workers in craft unions under the banner of the American...
Library of Congress
Loc: America at the Turn of the Century
A short report on America by 1900: "..the American nation had established itself as a world power. The West was Won. The frontier -- the great fact of 300 years of American history -- was no more."
Other
Afscme: "I've Been to the Mountaintop" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Learn about the the events of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike which drew Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis, which is where he was soon to be assassinated. Excellent source of primary sources and first hand accounts of the...
Black Past
Black Past: Young, Coleman
This encyclopedia entry recounts the colorful life of Coleman Young, long time mayor of Detroit.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Expore Pa History: Stories From Pa History: Labor Strikes and Mine Disasters
Read about the dangers of coal mining in Pennsylvania, the emergence of unions in an attempt to protect the miners, and some of the mining disasters that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
US Senate
U.s. Senate: Robert Wagner: A Featured Biography
Short biographical essay on Robert F. Wagner, author of the Social Security Act and the Wagner Labor Act.
Curated OER
History Matters: Parsons Responds to Powderly
Read an excerpt from a letter written by Chicago radical and Haymarket defendant, Albert Parsons, to the "Chicago Times" concerning Terence V. Powderly and the Haymarket riot. Also links to other related sites.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: The Great Steel Strike of 1919 Historical Marker
A strike by steel workers in Chicago eventually spread across the United States in 1919. Read about the strike, how was involved, and how the employers turned popular opinion against the strikers.
Curated OER
History Matters: "The Republic Is Imperiled": John L. Lewis Warns of Ignoring Laboring People
Excerpts from Senate testimony given by John L. Lewis in 1933, when he was President of the United Mine Workers of America.
Chicago History Museum
Encyclopedia of Chicago: Railroad Strike of 1877
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...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Helping Hand for Labor
Theodore Roosevelt had many talents. See how he acted as arbitrator in the coal strike of 1902, and supported the demands of the United Mine Workers to improve the working conditions of the miners.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Emma Goldman
This Britannica biography provides a brief, objective view of Emma Goldman's (1869-1940 CE) political life. Includes additional reading references.
Other
Ibew: Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914
Read a brief description of the Clayton Antitrust Act, which Samuel Gompers considered the Magna Carta of labor legislation.
University of Washington
University of Washington: United Auto Workers (Uaw) Locals 1937 1949
History of the United Auto Workers (UAW) with maps showing the spread of the UAW from 1939 through the late 1940s.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: Immigration and Migration
[Free Registration/Login Required] A lengthy essay discussing the differing opinions about immigration and the role of immigrants in the United States in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Find out about the...