Apush Labor Unions Test Questions – Flashcards

"Labor's Magna Carta". Passed 1935 during the New Deal, the use of collective bargaining. Eliminated blacklisting and required businesses to recognize unions if 50%+ of workers were in the organization.

First labor union, lasted from 1866-1872. Population: Combined skilled workers, unskilled workers, and farmers. Peak membership 600,000. Achievements: Successful in getting 8 hr day for employees.

Very famous union, started in 1869 by Uriah Stephens, famously led by Terence Powderly. Involved in Haymarket Square Riot of 1886. Population: all inclusive except for "non-producers" (liquor dealers, pro gamblers, lawyers, bankers and stockbrokers). Peak membership almost 1 million. Achievements:Creation of Bureau of Labor Standards, helped pass Chinese Exclusion Act, government ownership/regulation of telegraphs, telephones, and railroads.

Founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers. Federation of small unions of skilled craftsmen. Population: Skilled craftsmen only. Peak membership 500,000. Achievements: Improved workers' benefits: better wages and hours, closed shop, workers' comp., outlawed use of court injunction to break strikes.

Grand Master of the Knights of Labor from 1878.

Took place after a strike at McCormick Reaper Manufacturing Company, bomb went off on May 4 1886 at a protest in Haymarket Square. 7 killed, 60 wounded, led to anti-radical and anti-union sentiment. Put Knights of Labor in a bad light.

Jewish cigar maker who started the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886 as an organization of small unions of skilled craftsmen. He headed the organization until his death in 1924.

Head of the Pullman Palace Car Company, built sleeper cars for trains. Built a model town for his workers near Chicago, but did not pay workers adequately to live in his model town. A strike in 1894 by Pullman workers, aided Eugene Debs and the American Railway Union, took place after Pullman fired a union member and cut wages by 1/3.

Leader of the American Railway Union, he helped the strikers in the Pullman Strike of 1894. Eventually went on to become leader of the American Socialist Party and ran for president 5 times.

Owner of US Steel trust, first person to profit from vertical integration: owning all aspects of production from raw material extraction to processing and sale. Believed in the Gospel of Wealth: the rich should not die rich, wealth should be distributed to those who could help themselves (donated libraries, music halls, etc.).

Owner of Standard Oil, famous for his horizontal integration of the oil refining industry. Bought out almost all his competition so he almost had a complete monopoly on American oil refineries.

Secret Mason-esque society founded by Oliver Huston Kelley in 1867. Focused on bringing farmers together in a community/co-op, fixing farmers' plight which included high interest rates, high property taxes, high tariffs, and lack of currency. Population: farmers in Midwest and South, peak population: 1.5 million Achievements: raised Department of Agriculture to cabinet level. Obtained rural delivery and postal services. Entered state political arena in Upper MS Valley region.

Established in Ohio in 1878 from the Greenback Party and the Labor Reform Party. James Weaver of GLP received 3% of the vote in the presidential election of 1880. Population: Farmers and laborers who stood for more greenbacks in circulation and the free coinage of silver. Achievements: Sent 14 members to Congress in 1878, made headway in politics.

Movement seen in the late 19th century, hoping to unite black and white farmers facing similar economic issues. Population: peaked at 1 million in 1890, black and white farmers. Achievements: Not much, alliances were not very successful in uniting whites and blacks, especially in the South where they voted Democrat. North was more moderate and voted Republican.

Founded in 1890 in Kansas. Population: Members of several other agricultural unions who had mutual grievances. Achievements: Initiative and referendum adopted in many states, direct election of senators, secret ballot, graduated income tax, eight hour workday, government regulation of telephone/telegraph and railroads.