This resource covers the changing of America due to the Industrial Revolution which brought in not only new technology but also opened the door to reform movements. From the series by Joy Hakim, "A History of Us." Includes a teacher's...

Samuel Gompers, master organizer, had a vision of a national union that would have economic clout, but would steer clear of politics. Read about his organization of skilled workers in craft unions under the banner of the American...

The Southern Colonies developed their own personality, just as the New England and Middle colonies did. Read about the economy of the Southern Colonies, their labor force, and why the second-born of wealthy English familes came to this...

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.

Read about the background of coal miners and coal mine operators prior to the coal strike in 1902. Find out the significant role of the federal government in bringing the strike to an end.

This scholarly paper investigates the treatment of the federal government, sometimes ambivalent, sometimes hostile, during the presidential terms of Woodrow Wilson. See how Wilson's need for industrial workers and soldiers in the time...

It's hard to believe that there was not a phase known as adolescence until the 1920s. See how child labor laws and the automobile combined to spawn the teenager.

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...

The Brown Quarterly article provides photos and a history of Japanese immigration in the United States. It also offers information about religion, discrimination, and work.

Industrial workers, as industry emerged and grew in the last half of the 19th century, did not profit as the business tycoons did. Read about the very beginnings of attempts to organize as a force to demand higher wages, a shorter work...

This collection uses primary sources to explore coal mining and labor in West Virginia.

Read about Mozambique's history as a colony of Portugal, its eventual independence, and the problems that brought. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.

Since 1938, the U.S. federal government has established that workers are entitled to a base hourly wage. Which workers receive that minimum -- and how much -- has remained a political issue.

Read about some of the grassroots movements at the heart of Progressivism, and the changes they were pushing for and what they accomplished. Discusses labor issues, including the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Also discusses...

Suspension of civil liberties by the government is always a radial act. Read about why President Wilson and the Congress thought this was necessary upon the U.S. entrance to World War I, and see who really suffered from the enforcement...

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.

Social reform and teaching in the church which reflected social reform joined forces in latter part of the 19th century. Read about how an urban revivalist movement addressed such problems as poverty, child labor, and working conditions.

Plantation life was a dichotomy between rich and poor, land owners and laborers. Read about the life of the rich plantation owners and their families. See how the role of women was different on the plantations.

Africans first arrived in Jamestown as indentured servants, but soon the appeal of having laborers that were not free after seven years caught on. See how the use of slaves grew in the Southern colonies, the economies of which were based...

The American Brewery History homepage discusses the beer industry in American and the role of German-American brewers. Numerous articles on famous beer towns like St. Louis and Milwaukee. Info on famous brewers Busch and Miller, and even...

A huge site dedicated to an understanding of the current global economic system. Includes the history, forces, values and perceptions that have shaped the world's economy. A comprehensive resource that includes a detailed economic report...

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...

The U.S. Department of Labor provides a portrait and a biography of the man who served as Wilson's Secretary of Labor from 1913-1921. William B. Wilson is given a brief biographical sketch, with good factual information being provided.

Short biographical essay on Robert F. Wagner, author of the Social Security Act and the Wagner Labor Act.