Description of the rise and fall of the American Railway Union in the context of the Pullman Strike.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A brief look at the growth of unions in the early 20th century. Read about the strikes in 1919 and their consequences.

Read about the impact of the Knights of Labor on labor issues in Arkansas. Find out about the strikes they participated in for various work groups, and read about their political activity in a time of third-party elections.

This primary source set uses illustrations, documents, and photographs to tell the story of the Homestead Strike.

An article from the July 31, 1937 edition from The Nation magazine discussing the relationship between Big Steel, Little Steel, and the Committee of Industrial Organization (CIO). Written with a great deal of irony.

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...

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National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion...

The Gilded Age was a period of terrible labor violence, as industrialists and workers fought for control of the workplace. Workers organized the first large American labor unions during the Gilded Age, while employers tried to stop the...

This high school lesson focuses on the Homestead Strike of 1892. Young scholars are asked to write an essay explaining why the strike occurred and how the Carnegie Company went about winning the strike. Included are twenty-seven primary...

Read about how the Railroad Strike of 1877 was a first in many ways in labor history. This article sets up the reasons for the strike and the mixed results.

Given background information and primary source documents, learners will write an essay describing the events of the Pullman Strike of 1894 organized around a theme.

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...

Read about the Railroad Strike of 1877 that started in Pennsylvania and spread across the Midwest. Find out about the violence against the strikers and the use of the military to end the strike.

An explanation of the formation of the National Women's Trade Union League of America that brought together working class women and professional women. Read about what their goals were for women in the workforce. Find links to primary...

An article from Workers World describes the Bread and Roses Strike and explains why it ended up to be so effective. One interesting aspect is that there were immigrants working in the Lawrence textile mills speaking 25 different...

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.

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...

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...

Due to the strife incurred by garment workers at the turn of the century, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) was formed. Read about its history and its relevancy in the 21st century.

Read about the growth of labor unions during the 1930s as the Great Depression continued, due to the passage of the Wagner Act. Find out about the strikes and the conflict between labor and management, as well as conflict within the...

This resource gives an account of the Pullman Strike of 1894. It discusses what the strike was about, how it was resolved, and the effect its outcome had.

The National Women's Hall of Fame recognizes the important and influential life work of the famous labor organizer and worker's rights activist "Mother" Jones.

1896, A Website of Political Cartoons and Commentary provides the illustrated story of both the Homestead and Pullman strikes with quotes from newspapers of the time and a brief characterization of Andrew Carnegie. The site includes a...

A sure sign that manufacturing was moving from the home to the factory was the organization of skilled workers to protest wage reductions and working conditions. Read about the tension between these skilled workers and their employers as...