Library of Congress
Loc: America at the Turn of the Century
A short report on America by 1900: "..the American nation had established itself as a world power. The West was Won. The frontier -- the great fact of 300 years of American history -- was no more."
Other
Afscme: "I've Been to the Mountaintop" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Learn about the the events of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike which drew Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis, which is where he was soon to be assassinated. Excellent source of primary sources and first hand accounts of the...
Black Past
Black Past: Young, Coleman
This encyclopedia entry recounts the colorful life of Coleman Young, long time mayor of Detroit.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Expore Pa History: Stories From Pa History: Labor Strikes and Mine Disasters
Read about the dangers of coal mining in Pennsylvania, the emergence of unions in an attempt to protect the miners, and some of the mining disasters that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
US Senate
U.s. Senate: Robert Wagner: A Featured Biography
Short biographical essay on Robert F. Wagner, author of the Social Security Act and the Wagner Labor Act.
Curated OER
History Matters: Parsons Responds to Powderly
Read an excerpt from a letter written by Chicago radical and Haymarket defendant, Albert Parsons, to the "Chicago Times" concerning Terence V. Powderly and the Haymarket riot. Also links to other related sites.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: The Great Steel Strike of 1919 Historical Marker
A strike by steel workers in Chicago eventually spread across the United States in 1919. Read about the strike, how was involved, and how the employers turned popular opinion against the strikers.
Curated OER
History Matters: "The Republic Is Imperiled": John L. Lewis Warns of Ignoring Laboring People
Excerpts from Senate testimony given by John L. Lewis in 1933, when he was President of the United Mine Workers of America.
Chicago History Museum
Encyclopedia of Chicago: Railroad Strike of 1877
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...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Helping Hand for Labor
Theodore Roosevelt had many talents. See how he acted as arbitrator in the coal strike of 1902, and supported the demands of the United Mine Workers to improve the working conditions of the miners.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Emma Goldman
This Britannica biography provides a brief, objective view of Emma Goldman's (1869-1940 CE) political life. Includes additional reading references.
Other
Ibew: Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914
Read a brief description of the Clayton Antitrust Act, which Samuel Gompers considered the Magna Carta of labor legislation.
University of Washington
University of Washington: United Auto Workers (Uaw) Locals 1937 1949
History of the United Auto Workers (UAW) with maps showing the spread of the UAW from 1939 through the late 1940s.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: Immigration and Migration
[Free Registration/Login Required] A lengthy essay discussing the differing opinions about immigration and the role of immigrants in the United States in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Find out about the...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: The Homestead Strike
This collection uses primary sources to explore the Homestead Strike.
Other
Red Mountain High School: The Growing u.s. In the Late 1800's/early 1900's [Pdf]
A PowerPoint presentation covering American history during the second Industrial Revolution. Learn the forces behind monopolies, the growth of cities, and the development of labor unions among other aspects of progression at this time in...
Chicago History Museum
Encyclopedia of Chicago: Haymarket and May Day
Read this historical account of the events that led to the infamous labor dispute known as the Haymarket Square Riots on May 4th of 1886.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: The Iron Road
A good summary of the history of the building of first transcontinental railroad and images of the transcontinental railroad. From the introduction to the PBS video, The Iron Road.