The Labor Movement in America

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the labor movement in America, including definitions of labor organizations, significant historical events, and legislative acts.

Trade Unions

Organizations of workers formed to protect their rights and interests.

Craftsmen

Skilled workers who create items by hand or through specialized techniques.

Guilds

Medieval associations of craftsmen or merchants that controlled trade in a specific area.

Pursuit of Happiness

A phrase from the Declaration of Independence expressing the idea that individuals have the right to seek personal fulfillment.

Industrial Revolution

A period of major industrialization during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that transformed economies and societies.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A national federation of labor unions in the United States founded in 1886.

Knights of Labor

A labor organization founded in 1869, which sought to unite all workers regardless of skill level.

Molly Maguires

A secret society of Irish miners in Pennsylvania who used militant tactics in labor disputes.

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

A large strike involving railroad workers across the United States, which was violently suppressed.

Labor Rights

Legal and human rights related to the treatment and conditions of workers.

Pullman Strike

A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 that resulted from wage cuts and was met with federal intervention.

Clayton Act of 1914

Legislation that aimed to protect the rights of labor unions and forbid certain antitrust activities.

Children's Bureau

U.S. agency created to protect the welfare of children, particularly in relation to mercantile labor.

Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

An organization formed in 1935 to organize workers in mass production industries regardless of skill.

Merger of AFL-CIO

The uniting of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.

Jurisdictional Disputes

Conflicts between labor unions about which group has rights to organize or represent workers in a certain area or occupation.

Yellow Dog Contract

An agreement between an employer and employee where the employee agrees not to join a union.

Union Membership Decline

The reduction in the number of workers who belong to labor unions, attributed to various economic and social influences.