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The 13th Amendment
Slavery was abolished and made illegal. This means that the jobs the slaves were forced to take were now free again. -
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Timeline
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The NLU
The National Labor Union paved the way for other organizations like the Knights of Labor and the AFL. It started the trend of labor unions. -
Haymarket Riot
The aftermath of a bombing in Chicago at Haymarket Square. The bombing was at a peaceful rally in support of workers striking for an eight-hour work day. -
The AFL
The AFL, or the American Federation of Labor was created to continue to bring about changes to the standards of labor work. -
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers, the founder of the AFL, created the organization at this time. He was a strong leader who vowed to close the gap to better treatment for union workers. -
Homestead Strike
An industrial lockout and strike which began on July 1, 1892, culminating in a battle between strikers and private security agents on July 6, 1892. Workers protested a proposed wage cut. -
Pullman Strike
A nationwide railroad strike. The economic depression of 1893 set the conditions for the Pullman Strike of 1894. When the Pullman railroad car company laid off workers and slashed their wages, the American Railway Union led a national strike that shut down the country's railroad system. -
The Wagner Act
Also known as the National Labor Relations Act, this was a New Deal reform passed by President Franklin Roosevelt on July 5, 1935. It prevented employers from interfering with workers' unions and protests in the private sector. -
Taft-Hartley Act
The Taft-Hartley Act was a 1947 federal law that prohibited certain union practices and required disclosure of certain financial and political activities by unions. -
Steel Strike of 1959
The steel strike of 1959 was a 116-day labor union strike by members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) that idled the steel industry throughout the United States. It was the longest work stoppage in the American steel industry until the steel strike of 1986.
