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

Today in Labor History December 3, 1854: State troopers killed 22-60 gold miners in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, in Victoria, Australia. The miners had revolted against the colonial authority of the UK in a conflict over expensive mining licenses and abuses by local police and military. Public opinion was so much in support

Today in Labor History December 2, 1766: Swedish parliament approved the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act, making it the first country in the world with freedom of speech. Today in Labor History December 2, 1823: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaimed American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warned European powers not to