Labor Leader Samuel Gompers
On November 17, 1881, under Samuel Gompers, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Union of the United States was formed–a precursor to the American Federation of Labor. Gompers emigrated from England to New York with his family as a boy. He grew up working in a sweatshop and amid discussion about labor reform. Gompers led the AFL for 40 years, sometimes using strikes and boycotts to demand workers’ rights. He successfully changed the unionism of the 19th century in the United States, uniting different labor groups and keeping away from political influence to guide American laborers. Samuel Gompers died in 1924.
Photo: Library of Congress
