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International Workers' Day
This celebration that is still a national holiday began because of a strike in Haymarket Square. Police were trying to control the assembly when a bomb was thrown into the group. This caused the police to begin shooting at the workers, killing many people. International Workers' Day (May Day) was formally recognized as an annual holiday in 1891 by Congress. -
American Federation of Labor Founded
Samuel Gompers, the head of a local cigarmaker's union, was elected president of this new federation. The group was a combination of smaller unions, all wanting the same things: better pay, shorter hours, and better working conditions. -
NAWSA Formed
This was a very important time for women. Many were trying to gain the right to vote for all American women. But no individual could do this alone. Alice Stone Blackwell realized this and helped form the National American Woman Sufferage Association. This was done through the merging of the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association. With much persistance, this organization successfully gained women's suffrage, and the group was renamed as the League of Women -
President Roosevelt
When Theadore Roosevelt was elected president, things began to change. The White House would no longer be in the background. Roosevelt made sure that he had an impact on the nation. He did this by getting rid of bad trusts, preserving wilderness through National Forests, and trying to fix certain corrupt practices in industies. -
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Colorado Labor Wars
This was definitely a bloody time in Colorado's history that shows how tense the labor situation was at the time. Mine workers battled against mine oporators, causing upheavals and strikes to spread across the state. -
The Jungle Published
This novel, written by Upton Sinclair, was an attempt to expose the horrendous, disgusting practices of the meat-packing industries in Chicago. Sinclair was considered a "muckracker" who's book actually had an influence on President Roosevelt who later enforced the Pure Food and Drug Act aswell as the Meat Inspection Act. -
New York Shirtwaist Strike
Also known as the Uprising of the 20,000, this strike was made by women in shirtwaist factories who were not pleased with the working conditions / wages. The strike lasted about half a year and was eventually successful. -
Lawrence Textile Strike
This strike is commonly known as the "Bread and Roses" strike and involved immigrant workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts. They all wanted to shorten hours to 54 a week. After lasting over two months, they were successful, although the union had practically collapsed and didn't end up benefiting from the shortened hours. -
U.S. Children's Bureau
This was a federal agency which still exists today who's goal is to help prevent child abuse and improve foster care and adoption. The agency was established by President William taft and was the first national government office to focus solely on the well-being of children. This was very unusual at the time. -
Nineteenth Amendment Ratified
This amendment prohibits any U.S. citizen to be denied the right to vote because of their gender. This certainly was a victory for all of the women who stood up for what they believed to be right like Lucy Burns, Alic Paul, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and many more.
