The document discusses the history of labor unions in the Gilded Age. It details some of the earliest attempts at unions including the National Labor Union formed in 1866 and the Knights of Labor in the 1870s. Both of these organizations struggled and eventually collapsed. In the 1890s, the most prominent unions were the American Federation of Labor, Industrial Workers of the World, and American Railway Union. The American Railway Union led a major strike in 1894 that resulted in the creation of Labor Day.

1. Labor Unions
By: Cody Welding

2. Gilded Age Labor
Union Facts

3. Fact
• Horatio Alger’s Rag to Riches myths
created dreams for laborers and helped
lead to the development labor unions.

4. Fact
• The earliest major attempt for a Labor
Union was in 1866 when the National
Labor Union(NLU) was formed in
Baltimore but later collapsed in 1972.
• The National Labor Union dissolved due to
numerous fails to create a national coalition
of local trade unions and the depression of
1870’s.

5. Fact
• The Knights of Labor(KOL) followed.
• Knights of Labor(KOL) brought about the
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to limit the
amount of Chinese laborers threatening
their jobs and unions because they and
other foreigners were used as
strikebreakers.

6. Fact
• The Knights of Labor(KOL) collapsed in
1886 due to the failed Missouri Pacific
strike the Haymaker Square Riot, and also
the lose of craft unionists to American
Federation of Labor.

7. Fact
• The Labor Unions that followed and gained
dominance during 1890’s were American
Federation of Labor(AFL), Industrial
Workers of the World(IWW), and
American Railway Union(ARU).

8. Fact
• The American Railway Union(ARU) was the
largest union of the Gilded Age. The
American Railway Union(ARU) was the
first industry wide union.
• Labor Day was created in result of the
Pullman Strike.The Pullman Strike included
some 250,000 workers of which the 13
strikers were killed and 57 were wounded
by United States Marshals and some 12,000
US Army troops. This strike was led by the
American Railway Union(ARU).

9. Fact
• American Federation of Labor(AFL)
founder Samuel Gompers led key
movements in National labor policy. His
belief of electing friends and political office
to gain the needs of labor union was
successful because he also believed in
limiting strike and rather work with the
government. He also believed in only skilled
laborers leaving unskilled laborers to fend
for themselves.