Who was Samuel Gompers?
Samuel Gompers was the first and longest-serving president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL); it is to him, as much as to anyone else, that the American labor movement owes its structure and characteristic strategies.
What did Samuel Gompers say about socialism?
Gompers detested socialism as supported by his rival labor organizer Eugene V. Debs, head of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Throughout his forty years as AFL president, Gompers opposed Debs’ Socialist Party of America. “Socialism holds nothing but unhappiness for the human race," Gompers said in 1918.
What did Samuel Gompers say about strikes in 1920?
Samuel Gompers on the Kansas Court of Industrial Relations Law: "Laws to make strikes unlawful will not prevent them." Washington, D.C.: American Federation of Labor, 1920. Letters to a Bishop: Correspondence between Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, and Bishop William A. Quayle, of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Why did Samuel Gompers oppose the tenement Act?
Gompers's faith in legislative reform was dashed in the 1880s after the New York Supreme Court overturned two laws regulating tenement production of cigars that he had helped pass. Gompers saw that what the state gave, it could also take away.
Who opposed American Federation of Labor?
In 1905 representatives of 43 groups, who opposed the policies of American Federation of Labor, formed the radical labour organization, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
What did Samuel Gompers oppose in the union?
Gompers believed that labor had the most to gain by organizing skilled craft workers, rather than attempting to organize all workers in an industry. He refused to form an alliance with the Knights of Labor.
Was Samuel Gompers for or against the labor movement?
As a local and national labor leader, Gompers sought to build the labor movement into a force powerful enough to transform the economic, social and political status of America's workers.
Was Samuel Gompers a conservative?
Gompers emigrated in 1863 from England to New York City, where he took up his father's trade of cigar making and in 1872 became a naturalized citizen. His careful leadership of labour interests earned Gompers a reputation for conservatism.
Why did Gompers believe that unions were necessary?
Sam Gompers believed that one day all working men and women could belong to organized trade unions. He believed workers should not be forced to sell their labor at too low a price. He also believed each person must have the power to improve his or her own life.
Who is Gompers named after?
Samuel Gompers, for whom Gompers Park on Chicago's Northwest Side was named, was one of the founders of the American Federation of Labor in 1886. He was elected president, a position he held, except for one year, until his death 38 years later.
What was the secret to Gompers success?
Secret to Success Gompers by this time had formulated his secrets for success of unions: to support trade and craft unions, to support pure and simple unionism focused on economic reform, and when political action was necessary, to support the party that is pro-labor.
Is Gompers from gravity falls a girl or a boy?
maleAs both Gompers and Waddles have been referred to canonically as male, this would make them Gravity Falls' first and only same-sex "married" couple.
Which of the following best describes Samuel Gompers?
Answer. The correct answer for this question is "He was a US congressman who sponsored anti-striking legislation." The statement that best describes Samuel Gompers's role in relation to the goals of organized labor is that he was a US congressman who sponsored anti-striking legislation.
Did Samuel Gompers support capitalism?
Gompers accepted capitalism as the natural method of organizing production and made his goal the betterment of workers within the capitalist system. He also considered craft unions, with membership drawn from workers doing similar tasks, to be the best framework to advance labor interests.
What was Samuel Gompers view of capitalism?
Under the leadership of Samuel Gompers (1850Ð1924), a London-born cigarmaker, the AFL became not only a powerful force serving the interests of its members but also a conservative defender of capitalism against the appeal of Socialism and Communism.
How many kids did Samuel Gompers have?
Gompers was married by age 17 to Sophia Julian, with whom he would have 12 children. Through his job and his union involvement, Gompers learned from older immigrants about the role of unions and labor reform.
How did Samuel Gompers try to help workers?
Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's president from 1886 to 1894, and from 1895 until his death in 1924. He promoted harmony among the different craft unions that comprised the AFL, trying to minimize jurisdictional battles.
How does Gompers suggest dealing with unemployment?
As for unemployment insurance, Gompers argued that “when the government undertakes the payment of money to those who are unemployed, it places in the power of the government the lives and the work and the freedom of the workers.” State unemployment insurance programs, Gompers concluded, “are not advocated for the good ...
What was Samuel Gompers famous quote?
Time is the most valuable thing on earth: time to think, time to act, time to extend our fraternal relations, time to become better men, time to become better women, time to become better and more independent citizens.
Which of the following best describes Samuel Gompers?
Answer. The correct answer for this question is "He was a US congressman who sponsored anti-striking legislation." The statement that best describes Samuel Gompers's role in relation to the goals of organized labor is that he was a US congressman who sponsored anti-striking legislation.
Why did Gompers go to jail?
In 1911, Gompers faced jail for his participation in publishing a “boycott list” of companies that AFL members would not patronize. However, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Gompers v. Buck’s Stove and Range Co., overturned his conviction.
What did Gompers do as a teenager?
Though he left school at age ten and never completing a formal education, as a young teen, Gompers formed a debate club with several of this friends. It was here that he developed and honed his skills as an eloquent and persuasive public speaker. Some of his better-known quotes include:
What did Gompers do at age six?
Despite being extremely poor, the family managed to send Gompers to a free Jewish school at age six. There he received a brief basic education, rare among poor families of the day. At age ten, Gompers left school and went to work as an apprentice cigar-maker.
How old was Sophia Julian when she married the Gompers?
On January 28, 1867, the seventeen-year-old Gompers married sixteen-year-old Sophia Julian. They remained together until Sophia’s death in 1920. The reported number of children the couple had together varied from seven to as many as 12, depending on the source. Their names and birth dates are not available.
How old was Samuel Gompers when he started making cigars?
In 1864, the 14-year-old Gompers, now working full time for local cigar-maker, joined and became active in the Cigar Makers’ Local Union No. 15, a union of New York cigar makers.
When did Gompers die?
saying he wanted to die on American soil. He died on December 13, 1924, in a San Antonio, Texas hospital, where his last words were, “Nurse, this is the end.
When did Gompers collapse?
On Saturday, December 6, 1924, Gompers collapsed on the floor of the meeting hall.
When did Samuel Gompers die?
Taken ill while attending a Pan-American Federation of Labor conference in Mexico City, Samuel Gompers died on September 13, 1924, while hospitalized in San Antonio, Texas. He was nationally known as a fighter on behalf of working men and women.
Who was the president of the AFL?
Gompers served as president of the AFL from 1886 to 1894 and again from 1896 until his death in 1924. He was an advocate for “pure and simple” unionism, the idea that labor unions should fight for better working conditions and higher wages for their members. With men like Marcus Hanna, Gompers was a founder of the National Civic Federation. Like Roosevelt, Gompers opposed socialist unions but their relationship deteriorated as Roosevelt grew disenchanted with the labor movement. In 1908 he and Gompers exchanged angry letters about the power of the unions, and in 1912 Gompers instructed the AFL to oppose Roosevelt’s Progressive Party. During World War I, Roosevelt and Gompers both believed in military preparedness and an earlier entry to the war than President Woodrow Wilson desired.
What did Gompers believe?
Second, Gompers believed in a pure-and-simple unionism that focused primarily on economic rather than political reform as the best way of securing workers' rights and welfare.
What happened to Gompers in the 1880s?
Gompers's faith in legislative reform was dashed in the 1880s after the New York Supreme Court overturned two laws regulating tenement production of cigars that he had helped pass. Gompers saw that what the state gave, it could also take away.
What did Gompers do to the labor movement?
As a local and national labor leader, Gompers sought to build the labor movement into a force powerful enough to transform the economic, social and political status of America's workers. To do so, he championed three principles. First, he advocated craft or trades unionism, which restricted union membership to wage earners and grouped workers into locals based on their trade or craft identification. This approach contrasted with the effort of many in the Knights of Labor to organize general, community-based organizations open to wage earners as well as others, including employers. It also contrasted sharply with the "one big union" philosophy of the Industrial Workers of the World.
Where did the Gompers family come from?
Born in 1850 into a Jewish family in London, Gompers began making cigars alongside his father at the age of 10. In 1863, the entire family immigrated to New York City. Settling into a tenement apartment on Houston Street, Gompers continued rolling cigars at home with his father until he found work in one of the local shops.
What is the AFL campaign?
To secure the rights of labor to organize and engage in economic action, the AFL and its affiliates launched a far-reaching and ultimately successful campaign to elect union members and other labor-friendly candidates to political office.
Where did Gompers die?
Gompers died in December 1924 in San Antonio, Texas, where he had been rushed after falling ill in Mexico City while attending the inauguration of the new president of Mexico.
Who was the president of the AFL?
The high point of the AFL's new, more political strategy came during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson (1912–1920), when Gompers and the federation enacted much of their program and enjoyed their greatest influence.
What was Gompers' goal?
Gompers accepted capitalism as the natural method of organizing production and made his goal the betterment of workers within the capitalist system. He also considered craft unions, with membership drawn from workers doing similar tasks, to be the best framework to advance labor interests.
When did the Gompers family move to America?
When the family moved to America in 1863 , Gompers continued in the trade and became the first registered member of the Cigarmakers` International Union in 1864. In 1875, he was elected president of the union`s Local 144 in New York City.
What was the appeal of the A.F. of L. to craft unions?
of L. to craft unions drew away most of the Knights` membership. By 1890, the A.F. of L. was clearly the preeminent national voice of labor, as Gompers led members to victories for shorter hours and higher wages.
Why did Calvin Coolidge dismiss the Boston police commissioner?
In 1919, Gompers requested that Calvin Coolidge, then governor of Massachusetts, dismiss the Boston police commissioner for having requested the use of state troops to break the Boston police strike. Coolidge replied that, "There is no right to strike against the public peace by anybody, anywhere, any time.".
Where was Gompers born?
Gompers was born in a London tenement on January 27, 1850, to poor immigrant Jews from Holland. His formal education ended at the age of 10, when he became an apprentice shoemaker.
Who was the leader of the labor movement?
Samuel Gompers. Samuel Gompers was an early labor leader, first in his own union and later as president of the American Federation of Labor. As its president nearly continuously between 1886 and 1924, Gompers led the labor movement in achieving solid gains for workers.
What led to Lewis' withdrawal from the A.F. of L.?
The craft unions’ tendency to look down upon industrial workers as unskilled and untrained led to Lewis’ withdrawal from the A.F. of L. in 1938 to form the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The two organizations were apart until their merger in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO, the largest labor organization in the world.
Early Life and Education
Marriage
Young Cigar Maker and Budding Union Leader
Founding and Leading The AFL
Gompers vs. The Knights of Labor, and Socialism
- Led by Gompers, the AFL steadily grew in size and influence, until by 1900, it had largely taken over the position of power previously held by the older Knights of Labor, American's first labor union. While the Knights publicly denounced socialism, they sought a cooperative society in which the laborers owed the industries for which they worked. Go...
Gompers’ Death and Legacy
Notable Quotes
Sources