The American labor movement came into existence during the 19th century, with the formation of the National Labor Union (NLU) right after the Civil War and the Knights of Labor. The Knights of Labor was a broadly-based federation of workers that worked together to improve the wages and working conditions of the working man and (eventually) woman. Many laws have been passed, both at the federal and state levels, to improve working conditions and protect the rights of workers.

Many books have been written about the labor movement. We have compiled a short list at this Web site and encourage members of CFCE to learn more about the leaders, laws, successes, and failures of the labor movement.