-
NLU Founding
The NLU was a group of organized occupations coming from 77 different trades; however the NLU was short-lived due to the panic of 1873, and the founder of the NLU's death. -
Molly Manguires Founding
The Molly Manguires were a group that used "scare tactics" unlike any other union to get their way, which included kidnappings, murder, and beatings. Later, the Manguires were caught; 24 members caught, 10 hanged. -
Tompkins Square Riot
1500 workers from New York, protesting to congress for jobs and relief; were met by police on horseback, whom beat and arrested the protesters, which sparked a riot. -
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
A strike originating from worker's cuts from the B&O railroad. In martinsburg virginia, workers went on strike and put all the locomotives in the roundhouse; despite federal troops reopening it later, the strike spread like wildfire, even pertaining to workers of other occupations. -
Knights of Labor Founding
The Knights of Labor were a union that accepted people from all kinds of groups, in the hope that a bigger union would allow for a larger impact in politics, this group pushed for a universal 8-hour workday, equal pay for both genders, and the elimination of prison labor. -
American Federation of Labor Founding
A new union, unlike its predecessors, strove for personal gains of its members, and didn't go into politics. By 1920 the AFL sported 4 million members, but only 15% of all workers. -
Haymarket Affair
A riot in haymarket square over the earlier death of a striking worker, although no affiliated people were involved, Powderly and the KoL were the scapegoats. -
The Great Southwest Railroad Strike
A strike initiated by the KoL in backlash from the firing of a foreman by Jay Gould. The strike was unsuccessful, and the first defeat from the KoL. -
1892 Homestead Strike
A small skirmish between Carnegie Steel workers and pinkerton agents, killing 9 people total. -
Pullman Strike
Workers working for the pullman "sleeper" car company started striking when George Pullman cut 1/2 of his workers, lowered worker's wages by 25%, and still kept store and rent prices as high as they used to be. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
A strike in the booming buisness of Anthracite (A type of coal) of which President Roosevelt pleaded with both sides to stop the strike, this changed the view of the government from strike breaker to peacemaker. -
Socialist Party of America Founding
Started by Eugene V. Debs, one of the primary organizers of the Pullman strike, who ran in the party five times between 1900 and 1920, despite his failure in all of them, over 1,000 socialist members got into federal and state positions. -
Woodrow Wilson appoints the first secretary of labor.
The first secretary of labor was William B. Wilson, arguably appointed out of patronage, despite this, the Secretary of labor was a large step towards peace between strikers and employers. -
Ludlow Massacre
Striking coal miners made tent camps, some as large as 1200 people, when national guards opened a machine gun on the strikers, all the strikers either ran to the surrounding countryside, or hid in dugout shelters, of which the guard then proceeded to douse the tents in kerosene, and burn them. In one cellar, 11 children and 2 women were found, who suffocated to death, as many as 50 people died in total. -
Knights of Labor Disbanded Officially
The disband of the KoL.
