John L. Lewis. A major player in the history of coal mining, he was the driving force behind the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), which established the United Steel Workers of America
United Steelworkers
The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as United Steelworkers, is a general trade union with 860,294 members across North America. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the Unite…
How did John Lewis impact the world?
John L. Lewis. President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) from 1920 until 1960 and founding president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), John Llewellyn Lewis was the dominant voice shaping the labor movement in the 1930s. The CIO owed its existence in large measure to Lewis, who was a tireless and effective advocate of industrial unionism and …
What is John Lewis best known for?
John L. Lewis, in full John Llewellyn Lewis, (born February 12, 1880, near Lucas, Iowa, U.S.—died June 11, 1969, Washington, D.C.), American labour leader who was president of the United Mine Workers of America (1920–60) and chief founder and first president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO; 1936–40).
What was John Lewis early life like?
Jul 17, 2020 · John Lewis, in full John Robert Lewis, (born February 21, 1940, near Troy, Alabama, U.S.—died July 17, 2020, Atlanta, Georgia), American civil rights leader and politician best known for his chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and for leading the march that was halted by police violence on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, …
What was John Lewis famous for?
Jan 16, 2020 · John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. Click to see full answer. Consequently, what is John L Lewis known for? President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) from 1920 until 1960 and founding president …
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John L. Lewis was a powerful labor leader, who through the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), helped raise living standards for millions of American families in the 1930s. He was also a giant among American leaders in the first half of the 20th century, regularly advising presidents and challenging America's corporate leaders.
What did John L Lewis do for the labor movement?
What did John L Lewis stand for?
How did John L Lewis improve the lives of coal miners?
Who was the most effective labor leader of the 1930s?
What did the United Mine Workers Want?
Who founded the United Mine Workers?
What did the United Mine Workers of America accomplish?
What president of the United Mine Workers led a successful strike?
What did the AFL do?
How were workers treated during the Great Depression?
What caused the labor movement?
Who was John Lewis?
John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. A major player in the history of coal mining, he was the driving force behind the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), ...
What did Lewis do in the postwar years?
In the postwar years, Lewis continued his militancy; his miners went on strikes or "work stoppages" annually. In 1945 to 1950, he led strikes that President Harry S. Truman denounced as threats to national security. In response, industry, railroads and homeowners rapidly switched from coal to oil.
Where did John Lewis go to school?
Lewis attended three years of high school in Des Moines and at the age of 17 went to work in the Big Hill Mine at Lucas. In 1906, Lewis was elected a delegate to the United Mine Workers (UMW) national convention. In 1907, he ran for mayor of Lucas and launched a feed-and-grain distributorship.
Where did Lewis move to?
He moved to Panama, Illinois, where in 1909 he was elected president of the UMW local. In 1911 Samuel Gompers, the head of the AFL, hired Lewis as a full-time union organizer. Lewis traveled throughout Pennsylvania and the Midwest as an organizer and trouble-shooter, especially in coal and steel districts.
Who did Lewis support?
Lewis supported Republican Herbert Hoover for US President in 1928; in 1932, as the Great Depression bore brutally on the mining camps, he officially backed Hoover but quietly supported Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1936, his union made the largest single contribution, over $500,000, to Roosevelt's successful campaign for reelection.
Who was the president of the United Mine Workers of America?
United Mine Workers of America. John L. Lewis, United Mine Workers President plaque located in Lucas, Iowa. After serving as statistician and then as vice-president for the UMWA, Lewis became that union's acting president in 1919.
Who wrote the play The Man Who Came to Dinner?
John L. Lewis is mentioned in the 1939 Broadway play The Man Who Came to Dinner, written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The daughter of the main character and dinner host is in love with a labor organizer. Her father, the host, thinks that the labor organizer was sent by Lewis himself.
Who was John Lewis?
John L. Lewis, in full John Llewellyn Lewis, (born February 12, 1880, near Lucas, Iowa, U.S.—died June 11, 1969, Washington, D.C.), American labour leader who was president of the United Mine Workers of America (1920–60) and chief founder and first president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO; 1936–40).
Was Lewis a Republican?
Lewis was a lifelong Republican, but he had crossed party lines to support Roosevelt for the presidency in 1932 and 1936. He opposed Roosevelt’s third term, however, threatening to resign as CIO president if Roosevelt won.
When did the UMWa strike?
Lewis led a successful national coal strike in 1919, but during the 1920s the UMWA’s membership shrank from 500,000 to fewer than 100,000 as unemployment spread among UMWA members in northern states and nonunionized mines in the southern Appalachians increased their production.
What was the New Deal?
Beginning in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal presented organized labour with opportunities that Lewis exploited with energy and imagination. The formation of the National Recovery Administration through the National Industrial Recovery Act (1933) guaranteed labour the right to bargain collectively.
Who led the UMWA?
This action spurred several other organizing efforts and drew new members.…. …the UMWA was led by John L. Lewis, a persuasive labour organizer. In 1933 Lewis capitalized on the pro-labour mentality of the New Deal by organizing the Appalachian coalfields.
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
Who is John Lewis?
John Lewis, in full John Robert Lewis, (born February 21, 1940, near Troy, Alabama, U.S.—died July 17, 2020, Atlanta, Georgia), American civil rights leader and politician best known for his chairmanship of ...
What was Lewis inspired by?
As a teenager, however, he was inspired by the courageous defiance of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., to whose attention Lewis came when he indicated his desire to desegregate Troy State College (now Troy University). Dissuaded from doing so by his parents, Lewis instead was educated in Nashville at the American Baptist Theological ...
Who was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement?
On March 7, 1965, Lewis played a pivotal role in one the most important events in the history of the American civil rights movement when he and King lieutenant Hosea Williams led some 600 peaceful demonstrators on a march in support of voting rights that departed from Selma, with the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, as its destination.
When was the Voting Rights Act signed?
The resulting heightened awareness would contribute mightily to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act , which was signed into law by Johnson on August 6, 1965. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.
What was the Selma march?
This infographic provides maps and a timeline of the Selma March, which occurred March 21–25, 1965, and was a landmark event of the American civil rights movement. Lewis was the son of Alabama sharecroppers. He attended segregated schools and was encouraged by his parents not to challenge the inequities of the Jim Crow South.
Who was John Lewis?
John L. Lewis. John L. Lewis was a powerful labor leader, who through the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), helped raise living standards for millions of American families in the 1930s. He was also a giant among American leaders in the first half of the 20th century, regularly advising presidents and challenging America's corporate ...
Where was John Lewis born?
The early years John Llewellyn Lewis was born February 12, 1880, in Cleveland, Iowa, the son of a Welsh immigrant coal miner. He became a coal miner at the age of 15 after settling in Panama, Illinois, a small town in the central part of the state. Between the years 1898 and 1907, Lewis also tried farming, construction work, and a small business, ...
Who was the leader of the United Mine Workers of America?
Lewis was voted to be a local delegate to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) convention in 1906, which marked the beginning of Lewis ' quick rise as a leader of laborers. In 1909, he would serve, successively, as president of the Panama local of the United Mine Workers of America, and later as a lobbyist for the UMW.
What was John Lewis's role in the Civil Rights Movement?
John Lewis grew up in an era of racial segregation. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., he joined the burgeoning civil rights movement. Lewis was a Freedom Rider, spoke at 1963's March on Washington and led the demonstration that became known as "Bloody Sunday.". He was elected to Congress in 1986 and received the Presidential Medal ...
When did John Lewis run for office?
Lewis ran for office himself in 1981, winning a seat on the Atlanta City Council. In 1986, he was elected to the House of Representatives. Representing Georgia's 5th District, he was one of the most respected members of Congress.
Where was John Lewis born?
John Robert Lewis was born outside of Troy, Alabama, on February 21, 1940. Lewis had a happy childhood — though he needed to work hard to assist his sharecropper parents — but he chafed against the unfairness of segregation. He was particularly disappointed when the Supreme Court ruling in 1954's Brown v.
When did John Lewis leave the SNCC?
Lewis left the SNCC in 1966. Though devastated by the assassinations of King and Robert Kennedy in 1968, Lewis continued his work to enfranchise minorities. In 1970, he became director of the Voter Education Project. During his tenure, the VEP helped to register millions of minority voters.
Why did Lewis say he didn't believe Trump was a legitimate president?
In an interview with Chuck Todd for NBC News’ Meet the Press, which aired on January 15, 2017, Lewis said he didn’t believe Trump was a “legitimate president” because of Russian interference in the election.
Who was John McCain?
John McCain was a Vietnam War veteran and a six-term U.S. senator from the state of Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for the 2008 presidential election, before his loss to Barack Obama.
What was John Coltrane known for?
John Coltrane was an acclaimed American saxophonist, bandleader and composer, becoming an iconic figure of jazz in the 20th century with albums like 'Giant Steps,' 'My Favorite Things' and 'A Love Supreme.'
What was John Lewis's job?
While in the House, Lewis was one of the leaders of the Democratic Party, serving from 1991 as a Chief Deputy Whip and from 2003 as a Senior Chief Deputy Whip. John Lewis received many honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
Who is John Lewis?
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American statesman and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. He was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966.
Where was John Lewis born?
John Robert Lewis was born near Troy, Alabama, on February 21, 1940, the third of ten children of Willie Mae (née Carter) and Eddie Lewis. His parents were sharecroppers in rural Pike County, Alabama, of which Troy was the county seat.
Where did John Lewis go to college?
Lewis graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, and was ordained as a Baptist minister. He then earned a bachelor's degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University, also a historically black college, where he was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
How many times was John Lewis reelected?
Lewis was reelected 16 times, dropping below 70 percent of the vote in the general election only once in 1994, when he defeated Republican Dale Dixon by a 38-point margin, 69%–31%. He ran unopposed in 1996, 2004, 2006, and 2008, and again in 2014 and 2018.
What congressional district is Lewis in?
Lewis represented Georgia's 5th congressional district, one of the most consistently Democratic districts in the nation. Since its formalization in 1845, the district has been represented by a Democrat for most of its history.
When did Lewis introduce the National Museum of African American History and Culture?
Each time it was blocked in the Senate, most often by conservative Southern Senator Jesse Helms. In 2003, Helms retired. The bill won bipartisan support, and President George W. Bush signed the bill to establish the museum, with the Smithsonian 's Board of Regents to establish the location. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, located adjacent to the Washington Memorial, held its opening ceremony on September 25, 2016.
Overview
John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. A major player in the history of coal mining, he was the driving force behind the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), which established the United Steel Workers of Americaan…
Early life and rise to power
Lewis was born in or near Cleveland, Lucas County, Iowa (distinct from the present township of Cleveland in Davis County), to Thomas H. Lewis and Ann (Watkins) Lewis, immigrants from Llangurig, Wales. Cleveland was a company town, built around a coal mine developed one mile east of the town of Lucas. His mother and grandparents were members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(RLDS), and the boy was raised in the church's views regarding …
United Mine Workers of America
After serving as statistician and then as vice-president for the UMWA, Lewis became that union's acting president in 1919. On November 1, 1919, he called the first major coal union strike, and 400,000 miners walked off their jobs. President Woodrow Wilsonobtained an injunction, which Lewis obeyed, telling the rank and file, "We cannot fight the Government." In 1920, Lewis was electe…
Founding the CIO
With the open support of the AFL and the tacit support of the UMWA, Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated and elected President in 1932, and Lewis benefited from the New Deal programs that followed. Many of his members received relief. Lewis helped secure passage of the Guffey Coal Act of 1935, which raised prices and wages, but it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Thanks to the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, union membership grew rapidly, especia…
1950s
In the 1950s, Lewis won periodic wage and benefit increases for miners and led the campaign for the first Federal Mine Safety Act in 1952. Lewis tried to impose some order on a declining industry through collective bargaining, and maintaining standards for his members by insisting that small operators agree to contract terms that effectively put many of them out of business. Mechaniz…
Retirement and final years
• On September 14, 1964, four years after his retirement from the UMWA, Lewis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson, his citation reading:
"[An] eloquent spokesman of labor, [Lewis] has given voice to the aspirations of the industrial workers of the country and led the cause of free trade unions within a healthy system of free enterprise."
References in popular culture
• In the 1938 motion picture Holiday, the character of Linda Seton played by Katharine Hepburn describes how she tried to help some strikers in Jersey. "I never could decide whether I wanted to be Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale or John L. Lewis."
• In an episode of the Jack Benny radio program, a friend brings a baby over to Benny's house. When the infant breaks a jar of home-made chili, B…
See also
• Labor history of the United States
• New Deal Coalition