In the early hours of a hot August morning in 1917, the body of a young union organizer hanged off a railroad trestle near Butte, Montana. The body, beaten and bloody, was that of Frank Little, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Pinned to the body was a note that cautioned, […]
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Cultural diversity is one of the modern Labor Movement’s greatest strengths. Labor celebrates the richness of mutliculturalism and recognizes that the united voice above all else is the fabric that holds this Movement together. But the Labor Movement has not always been a bastion of racial understanding. In 1903 in the beet fields of Oxnard, […]
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British Historian, G.R. Elton, once wrote, “It is the essence of the poor that they do not appear in history.” While this quote was said in context of the peasantry of Tudor England, it is a statement that can also be made about the Labor Movement in U.S. history. It could be argued that labor […]
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In the early 20th century, Orange County sat in the heart of what was known as the citrus belt. As the decades passed, cement and high-rise buildings replaced the once abundant orchards. Still, the names of the cities, streets and even the county name itself act as constant reminders that this was once citrus country. […]
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History books tell the tale of America, from the beginning of the country’s origins to our greatest accomplishments. In rare moments, one may even find a nod to the accomplishments of labor. However the true story of the American worker can only be found among campfire stories and folk songs. It is among the narrative […]
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Throughout our history, a specific lexicon of songs has been burned into our nation’s consciousness. These songs have acted as a link, unifying generations through a common culture. Among these ballads one song in particular, This Land is Our Land, has come to represent the heart and soul of the American spirit. However, few realize […]
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On June 21, 1877, four Irish-born miners sat in a Pennsylvania cell waiting for their death sentence to be answered by a hangman’s noose. The four men were accused of murder and of having been members of the notorious Molly Maguires. Their conviction and execution rested on the testimony of a single Pinkerton detective. This […]
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