American Labor Movement: Knights of Labor to the AFL (1869–1924)

1. Knights of Labor founded in Philadelphia

   Dec 9, 1869Labels: Knights of, Uriah S, Philadelphia

   • History com
   • Britannica

2. Great Railroad Strike begins in Martinsburg

   Jul 14, 1877Labels: Great Railroad, B&O Railroad, Martinsburg

   • Great Strike

3. FOTLU created at Pittsburgh convention

   Nov 15, 1881Labels: FOTLU, craft unions, Pittsburgh

   • FOTLU

4. Knights of Labor membership surges

   Jan 1, 1886Labels: Knights of, Terence Powderly, membership surge

   • Britannica
   • NPS

5. Great Southwest Railroad Strike begins

   Mar 1, 1886Labels: Great Southwest, Knights of, Jay Gould

   • NPS
   • Great Southwest

6. Haymarket Affair bombing in Chicago

   May 4, 1886Labels: Haymarket Affair, Chicago, labor rally

   • Britannica
   • Gilder Lehrman

7. American Federation of Labor founded in Columbus

   Dec 8, 1886Labels: American Federation, FOTLU, Samuel Gompers

   • AFL
   • Britannica

8. Homestead Strike erupts at Carnegie Steel

   Jul 1, 1892Labels: Homestead Strike, Carnegie Steel, Pennsylvania

   • Britannica
   • Homestead

9. Pullman Strike begins and spreads nationwide

   May 11, 1894Labels: Pullman Strike, American Railway, federal intervention

   • Britannica
   • Pullman

10. Erdman Act establishes federal rail mediation

    Jun 1, 1898Labels: Erdman Act, William McKinley, rail mediation

    • Presidency UCSB

11. Lochner v. New York limits hours regulation

    Apr 17, 1905Labels: Lochner v, Supreme Court, hours law

    • Britannica
    • Oyez

12. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146

    Mar 25, 1911Labels: Triangle Shirtwaist, New York, factory fire

    • Britannica
    • AFL CIO

13. Clayton Antitrust Act enacted with labor protections

    Oct 15, 1914Labels: Clayton Antitrust, Congress, labor protections

    • Clayton Act

14. Coppage v. Kansas upholds “yellow-dog” contracts

    Jan 25, 1915Labels: Coppage v, Supreme Court, yellow-dog

    • Oyez
    • Coppage

15. Keating–Owen Child Labor Act signed

    Sep 1, 1916Labels: Keating Owen, Congress, child labor

    • Nat Archives

16. Adamson Act establishes eight-hour day for rail workers

    Sep 3, 1916Labels: Adamson Act, rail workers, eight-hour day

    • Adamson Act

17. Transportation Act creates Railroad Labor Board

    Feb 28, 1920Labels: Transportation Act, Railroad Labor, rail regulation

    • Esch Cummins
    • RLB

18. Samuel Gompers dies after long AFL presidency

    Dec 13, 1924Labels: Samuel Gompers, American Federation, death

    • Britannica