United States 1884

Synopsis

The fight for a federal department of labor began in the late 1800s and spanned almost 50 years. Shortly after the Civil War, William H. Sylvis and the National Labor Union lobbied for a Department of Labor, but Congress was unwilling to create any new cabinet-level departments. When Sylvis died in 1869 and the National Labor Union dissolved in 1873, the movement slumped. In response, a number of states created their own bureaus of labor. Under the leadership of Terence Powderly and the Knights of Labor, some leaders changed their strategy and proposed a national Bureau of Labor, which was created in 1884 and placed under the Department of the Interior.

Timeline

• 1864: George M. Pullman and Ben Field patent their design for a sleeping car with folding upper berths.
• 1869: The first U.S. transcontinental railway is completed.
• 1874: Gold is discovered in the Black...