Labor History

Today in Labor History March 9, 1841: The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that freed the remaining 35 survivors of the Amistad mutiny. In 1839, Portuguese slave traders had illegally transported 52 Mende people from west Africa to Cuba, on the Amistad, in violation of European treaties against the slave trade. Joseph Cinque led […]

Today in Labor History March 8, 1857: Women garment workers picketed in New York City, demanding a 10-hour workday, better working conditions, and equal rights for women.  Today in Labor History March 8, 1908: Thousands of workers in the New York needle trades (mostly women) launched a strike for higher wages, shorter hours and an

1860s Today in Labor History March 7, 1860: 6,000 shoemakers and 20,000 other New England workers participated in a mass strike in Lynn, Massachusetts, also known as the great New England Shoemakers Strike. It was the largest U.S. strike prior to the Civil War. Thousands of women marched through a blizzard carrying signs saying: “American

Today in Labor History March 5 Today in Labor History March 5, 1770: The Boston Massacre took place.  British soldiers, living in colonists’ homes, started taking jobs from local workers. Angered, rope makers started provoking the British soldiers, who fired at and killed Crispus Attucks, a multiethnic colonist. They went on to kill 4 others.

Today in Labor History March 2, 1657: The Great Fire of Meireki began in Edo (now Tokyo). Over 100,000 died in the fire. It destroyed 70% of Edo. Legend says that a priest started the fire accidentally by cremating a cursed kimono. Hurricane-force winds fanned the flames, helping them quickly spread through the city. Laura