Congress passed the Anti-Pinkerton Act following public outrage over the Homestead Strike massacre, prohibiting the federal government from hiring “an individual employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, or similar organization.” The legislation addressed “Congressional concern …
U.S. CongressPinkerton Detective Agencylabor-rightslegislative-reformcorporate-accountabilitygilded-age
Forty-two delegates representing 13 national unions and various local labor organizations convene in Columbus, Ohio, to establish the American Federation of Labor (AFL) as the successor to the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (founded 1881). The convention elects Samuel Gompers, an …
Samuel GompersFederation of Organized Trades and Labor UnionsKnights of LaborCraft unionslabor-organizinggilded-ageaflcraft-unionslabor-rights+1 more
The Knights of Labor reaches its peak membership of over 700,000 workers (some sources report 750,000) under Grand Master Workman Terence V. Powderly, representing the largest and most inclusive labor organization in American history to that point. Founded in 1869 as a secret society and reorganized …
Terence V. PowderlyKnights of LaborJay GouldAmerican workerslabor-organizinggilded-ageknights-of-laborunion-membershiplabor-rights