A&E Television
History.com: Labor Day 2021
Labor Day 2021 occurred on Monday, September 6. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the...
Other
Labor Arts: Solidarity Forever: A Look at Wobbly Culture
An excellent collection of artifacts that highlight the aims and aspirations of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Members of the IWW, known as Wobblies, played a unique role in the American labor movement. Artifacts include...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: America in Class: America in the 1920s: Prosperity: Labor Union
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National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards historical documents, literary texts, and works of art thematically organized with notes and discussion questions....
Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: Labor in America
A rich collection of resources, including primary sources, student activities, and lesson plans, to support study of Americans at work in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: American Industrial Revolution
Aimed at middle school teachers and students, this resource contains lists of labor links. It includes a brief history of strikes, the Knights of Labor and the AFL.
Other
Key People in Labor History: Mother Jones (1837 1930)
Once called "the most dangerous woman in America", Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was one of the great organizers of the labor and union movements.
New York University
Nyu: Labor & the Holocaust: The Jewish Labor Committee
Resource traces the Jewish Labor Committee from its inception in American labor history, through its anti-Nazi work during WW II.
University of Houston
University of Houston: An American Industrial Revolution Unit: Rise of Labor
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...
Digital History
Digital History: Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor
A good look at not only Samuel Gompers and the formation of the American Federation of Labor, but also of the course of unionism in general, its successes and failures, its goals, and membership in the late 19th century.
Department of Defense
Do Dea: Ap Us History: Unit 10: Understanding American History
This extensive learning module looks at how themes of American history can create a better understanding of the big picture of the nation's history.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Movement South and Westward
Following Eli Whitney's invention in 1793 of the cotton gin -- a machine that separated raw cotton from seeds and other waste -- the cotton market boomed. Planters in the South bought land from small farmers who frequently moved farther...
Library of Congress
Loc: American Memory: Alice Henry: The Trade Union Woman
Excerpt from the Preface to Alice Henry's book, The Trade Union Woman (1915) in which Henry argues for regulation of wages and working conditions for women. Link to the entire book.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The Industrial Age in America
In this lesson plan from EDSITEment, students will discuss the significance of the labor movement, the industrialists involved and the attitude of the American people toward working conditions in the United States. Contains links to many...
Other
Key People in Labor History: Asa Philip Randolph (1889 1979)
Biographical essay on A. Philip Randolph, one of the organizers of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He was also very active in civil rights and the movement to end discrimination in the military and defense industries.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Knights of Labor
Learn interesting details about the Knights of Labor, the first major American labor union to be established.
Other
Labor Arts: Labor Sings
Many songs, born of the American labor and civil rights movements, called people to action and were used to spread the messages of workers' rights and civil rights. Here you will find a nice collection of such songs. All songs in the...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Stirrings of Reform
The democratic upheaval in politics exemplified by Jackson's election was merely one phase of the long American quest for greater rights and opportunities for all citizens. Another was the beginning of labor organization, primarily among...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Americans and the Great War 1914 1919: A New Home Front
World War I changed the configuration of the workforce and organized labor took the opportunity to strengthen its power base. This section looks at the impact of these changes on women and African Americans, as well as how the women's...
Other
Afl Cio America's Union Movement
The AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) enables working people to have a voice on the job and in the government through the creation of labor unions. This very extensive website offers...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Biography of America: Capital and Labor
This thirty-minute video, the seventeenth in a series on American history, examines the rocky relationship between labor, management, and industry from 1882 to 1901. You can also read the transcript, find a map of the Anthracite Strike,...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Spotlight Biography: Labor Reformers
Biographical information on Samuel Gompers, Frances Perkins and Cesar Chavez. All three were inspirations for the labor union movement.
University of Maryland
University of Maryland: The Samuel Gompers Papers
Site from the University of Maryland provides primary source documents, a brief history of the labor movement, and biographical information about Samuel Gompers. A great resource for teachers and students.
University of Pennsylvania
Mary Harris Mother Jones
A short, easy-to-understand biography of Mother Jones (1837-1930 CE) who was active in union and labor movements.
Other
Michigan State University: Earliest Voices: Samuel Gompers
This webpage offers a 1917 historic voice recording of labor leader Samuel Gompers on changes that were taking place in the labor movement as a result of World War I. A biography and downloadable images included.