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National Labor Union
Thi first national labor organization in the US history was founded in 1866 owned by 600,000 members from many parts of the workforce, although it limited the participation of chinese, women, and blacks. The organization devoted most of it's energy fighting fo r a eight-hour workday before it dissolved in 1872. -
Standard Oil Company
John D. Rockefeller's company, founded in 1870, which came to symbolize the trust and monopolies of the Gilded Age. The Standard Oil Company controlled 95% of the oil refineries in the US, was also one of the first multinational corporations, and at times distributed more tat half of the company's kerosine production outside the US. -
American Federation of Labor
A national federation of trade union that included only skilled workers., led by Samuel Gompers for nearly four decades, the AFL sought to negotiate with employees for the better kind of capitalism that rewarded workers fairly with better wages, hours and conditions. The AFL's membership was almost entirely until the middle of the twentieth century. -
Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad Company v. Illinois
A Supreme court decision that prohibited states from regulating railroads because the constitution grants congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. As a result, reformers turned their attention to federal government, which now held sole power to regulate the railroad industry. -
Interstate Commerce Act
Congressional legislation that established the interstate commerce commission, compelled railroads to published standard rates, and prohibited rebate and pools.railroads quickly became adept at using the Act to achieve their own ends, but the act gave the government an important means to regulate business. -
Sherman's Antitrust Act
A law that forbade trusts and or combinations in business, this was landmark legislation because it was one of the first Congressional attempts to regulate big business for the public good. At first the law was mostly used to restrain trade unions as the courts tended to side with the companies in legal cases.