December 2021

Today in Labor History December 16, 1811: The first two in a series of 4 severe earthquakes happened in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. The quakes ranged from 7.2-8.4 in magnitude. Because the area was sparsely populated, it is thought that there were few deaths. However, they were so powerful, they could be felt in an area of 50,000 […]

Today in Labor History December 15, 1792: The U.S. Bill of Rights was adopted. It promised freedom of speech, religion, the press, and “the right of the people peaceably to assemble. It also included the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 1800s Today in Labor History December 15, 1869: Rebels proclaimed

Today in Labor History December 6, 1810: Miguel Hidalgo decreed an end to slavery in Mexico. However, slavery continued in parts of Mexico until 1829, when Afro-Mestizo President Vicente Ramon Guerrero banned it again. Between the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and 1829, over 200,000 enslaved Africans were brought to New Spain, as Mexico was

Today in Labor History December 5, 1492: Columbus became the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola, setting in motion the genocide of Indigenous Americans. Today in Labor History December 5, 1798: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was recruited to run a new orphanage in the Swiss town of Stans. This was immediately after

Today in Labor History December 4, 1906: The National Federation of Postal Clerks was chartered. In 1971, they merged with four other postal unions to form the modern APWU. Go Postal! Today in Labor History December 4, 1951:  Walter Reuther, President of the United Autoworkers (UAW), was elected head of the Congress of Industrial Organizations