Defining Moments: Workers Unite! The American labor Movement is divided into three primary sections. The first, the Narrative Overview, provides an in-depth survey of the history of the American labor movement from its earliest origins to the present day. The volume includes comprehensive coverage of the colonial foundations of the American workplace, the impact of nineteenth-century industrialization and free market capitalism on workers and the wider American society, and major events and individuals that drove the growth of labor unions during the Progressive, New Deal, and post-World War II eras. It also chronicles the declining influence of the labor movement over the past half-century and examines various proposals for revitalizing American unions in the twenty-first century.
The second, Biographies, provides valuable biographical background on America's most famous and influential labor leaders. Profiled individuals range from early pioneers in labor organizing and activism, including Samuel Gompers, Eugene Debs, and Mother Jones, to later labor giants like Walter Reuther and George Meany. Each biography concludes with a list of sources for further information on the profiled individual.
The third, Primary Sources, collects essential and illuminating documents related to the evolution of labor unions in the United States. Other documents included in this section feature perspectives on labor issues from such diverse sources as United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis and President Ronald Reagan.
