America, still in its infancy in the late 18th century began to grow as a nation. The industrial revolution was dawning in the United States. American labor now faced a long, uphill battle to get fair treatment in the workplace. During that battle more and more American workers would turn to organized labor unions to help their cause. The labor unions and there members faced violence, cruelty and many bitter defeats, but they would eventually …showed first 75 words of 996 total…

…showed last 75 words of 996 total…of labor campaigned for the eight hour workday, laws that would establish a minimum wage, the use of arbitration rather than strikes to settle disputes between workers and employers, laws to protect the health and safety of workers, end the end of child labor under the age of 14 as well as the end of government ownership of the railroads, telegraphs and telephones. Membership increased at a slow pace. By 1884 the Knights of Labor had 52,000 members.