History of Labor Unions Primary Sources
Historical documents. What clues can you gather about the time, place, players, and culture?
Chicago Anarchists on Trial: Evidence from the Haymarket Affair
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This site makes transcripts of the trial of those accused in the 1886 Haymarket bombing available.
The Samuel Gompers Papers
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Includes letter and other documents by the great labor leader. Gives a flavor of the nitty-gritty of the early labor movement.
The National Labor Relations Act
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This is the text of the law commonly known as the Wagner Act. Passed in 1935, it changed the landscape of labor-management relations, setting off a burst of labor organizing.
The Taft-Hartley Act
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Here you can find the text of the Taft-Hartley Act. Passed in 1947, it tilted power in the workplace back toward management.