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History of Labor
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13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was passed by congress on January 31, 1865. It abolished slavery in The United States and it is recognized today as one of the most important amendments added to the constitution. -
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was a labor orginization founded in 1869. It was one of the first labor organizations to promote an 8-hour work day. -
The 1st Labor Day
The first Labor Day in the United States was held on September 5, 1882. Labor Day became an official holliday in 1894 after Grover Cleveland failed to break up a railroad strike. -
AFL (American Federation of Labor)
The AFL (American Federation of Labor) was founded in 1886 after the Knights of Labor was abolished. The goal of the AFL was to create groups and unions throughout different companies. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
In March 1911, a fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory killed 146 employees. The fire was caused due to poor working ccnditions and lack of saftey precautions. This tragedy called for factories to create new saftey measures and regualtions. -
Textile Workers Strike of 1934
The Textile Workers Strike of 1934 was the largest strike in U.S history. It lasted 22 days and it involved over 400,000 workers. -
The Wagner Act
This act allowed workers to strike and engage in collective bargaining. -
Taft-Hartley Act
This act limited the power of unions and it restricted union activities. -
Steel Strike of 1959
This strike spurred after steel workers were not given a higher wage. The strike lasted 116 days. -
Delano Grape Strike
Led by Cesar Chavez, the strike on California grapes caused the government to allow farm workers to unionize. Before the strike, farm workers had to work many hours with little pay. This allowed them to negotiate higher wages and less hours.
