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...

Overview of the Knights of Labor with maps showing the expansion of the Knights by color-coded time period, the number of local assemblies in each LA county, and more.

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards historical documents, literary texts, and works of art thematically organized with notes and discussion questions....

Read Terence V. Powderly's reasoning for keeping the Knights of Labor, which he headed, out of the turmoil that came after the Haymarket Square Riot.

A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that examines the conditions American workers faced in the late 1800s. Young scholars will understand the factors that precipitated the birth and...

Outline of the struggles, conflict and violence experienced by 19th Century industrial workers.

A short history of the Industrial Revolution, the reasons that it began in England, some of the significant inventions that had a major impact, changes in transportation, the rise of labor unions, its spread to the United States, and the...

This Library of Congress site provides information on the fight for the eight-hour workday. Discusses labor unions and strikes.

In the late nineteenth century, the Knights of Labor attempted to organize workers of all kinds into a union to improve working hours and conditions for laborers.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An excerpt from an interview with a textile factory worker named Marianna Costa. In the interview, Costa talks about working conditions at the Arrow Piece Dye Works in Paterson, New Jersey, prior to the...

The Great Depression built the modern labor movement by growing and strengthening unions. Follow the labor movement through a day-by-day database of newspaper articles chronicling strikes in Washington State. Additionally, students can...

Numerous collections of cartoons, buttons, posters, murals, photographs, and similar artifacts, all pertaining to history of American labor, especially its drive to organize and its history of protest. Stretches back to the earliest days...

This very complete lesson plan from the New York State Library uses newspaper accounts to give a "you are there" feeling to the discussion of the Railroad Strike of 1877. Included are a history of the strike, student activities,...

Brief summary of the early labor movement and the role that labor unions played.

This resource presents a brief history of AFL-CIO leader George Meany.

Students learn about the history of the labor movement in Industrial America, including some of the major unions that emerged and the most well-known strikes. Next, they make connections to the role of unions today. They then work in...

As early as 1866 a national union grew from the multitude of local unions in the country. Read about the growth of stronger unions, and find out what their goals were. See why the Haymarket Square Riot had an effect on unionization.

Aimed at middle school teachers and students, this resource contains lists of labor links. It includes a brief history of strikes, the Knights of Labor and the AFL.

A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that focuses on the growth of militant labor unions like the International Workers of the World, on Joe Hill's role in the IWW, and on the...

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.

A look at the history of the United Mine Workers from its inception to present day. Find out what causes the UMW supported.

The Taft-Hartley Act was a contentious law aimed at limiting the influence of labor unions immediately after World War II. Read about the act and the changes it made to the Wagner Act.

The fascinating history of the WCTU and the many causes it advocated.

In the United States and Canada, the first Monday of September is a federal holiday, Labor Day. Originally celebrated in New York City's Union Square in 1882, Labor Day was organized by unions as a rare day of rest for the overworked...