The Wisconsin Historical Society has collected evidence about the lives of working-class people for more than 100 years. At a time when many cultural institutions shunned labor unions, the Society subscribed to their newsletters and archived their papers. The result is one of the nation's largest collections for American labor movement research.

The Steward of Labor History Records

More than a century ago, University of Wisconsin professors Richard T. Ely (1854-1943) and John R. Commons (1862-1945) started collecting materials and guiding graduate research on labor history. Their efforts lead the Society to become known as the steward of labor history records. The professors produced the multi-volume "History of Labour in the U.S" (1918-1935). Parts of it was used for source material to complete the "Documentary History of American Industrial Society" (10 volumes, 1910-1911).

Collection Expands to Include Great Depression, Union Racial Integration

Our labory history foundation encouraged labor organizations and historians to share their records. During the 1950s, the Society renewed its collection efforts, focusing on materials created during the Great Depression. New efforts, like documenting workers in clerical and service jobs, were also launched. In the 1980s, staff members spent hundreds of hours interviewing workers and officials about the racial integration of unions of the 1950s and 1960s. Since then, the collections have continued to expand.

Labor History Collection Today

Today the Society’s labor history collection includes more than 600 separate collections of unpublished material, over 3,000 magazines and newsletters, and almost 10,000 books and pamphlets. Noteworthy materials include the records of the International Workingmen's Association, the Socialist Labor Party, American Federation of Labor (1888-1955) as well as Victor Berger and John L. Lewis. Trade union archives include materials from the International Association of Machinists, United Packinghouse Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the Textile Workers Union of America. A great deal of this material was microfilmed during the 1960s and 1970s.

The Museum's Workplace Objects Shed Light on the Workers Lives

Workplace objects can tell us interesting details about the lives of workers. In addition to the Labor History Collections in the Society's Library and Archives, the Society's Wisconsin Historical Museum has a collection artifacts of working-class life including an industrial sewing machine and migrant workers' bunk beds. The Museum also has a time clock used by workers at the Appleton Woolen Mills in Appleton, ca. 1894-1915.

More Information on Labor History

Many interesting stories can be found in the Birth of the Labor Movement and Rise of Skilled Manufacturing sections of Turning Points in Wisconsin History.

A related essay explains devices used by management to collect in-depth information about workers' behavior.