The Persistence of Ideas in the American Labor Movement: The Heritage of the 1830s

Abstract

In creating the first American labor movement, the craftsmen of Andrew Jackson's time advanced several ideas that challenged the doctrine of extreme laissez-faire which was then emerging. This essay examines six of those ideas—such as the beliefs that there were an excessive inequality of wealth and widespread monopoly—which provided support for the idea and practice of trade unionism. The author shows that these ideas have continued to be espoused by leaders and members of successive labor federations, including those of the AFL-CIO. He suggests that the persistence of these ideas reflects the persistence in some form of the political, social, and economic inequities that first evoked the ideas.