History of Labor Unions Primary Sources
Historical documents. What clues can you gather about the time, place, players, and culture?
Chicago Anarchists on Trial: Evidence from the Haymarket Affair
This site makes transcripts of the trial of those accused in the 1886 Haymarket bombing available.
The Samuel Gompers Papers
Includes letter and other documents by the great labor leader. Gives a flavor of the nitty-gritty of the early labor movement.
The National Labor Relations Act
This is the text of the law commonly known as the Wagner Act. Passed in 1935, it changed the landscape of labor-management relations, setting off a burst of labor organizing.
The Taft-Hartley Act
Here you can find the text of the Taft-Hartley Act. Passed in 1947, it tilted power in the workplace back toward management.