Brief History of Labor Unions

In the late 1800s, workers were forming labor unions. The unions set out to improve the lives of workers. After the cotton gin and the steam-powered loom were invented, they needed lots of workers to work in the factories. These workers were frequently abused, they had very low pay, and they worked for long hours. Plus, it was not uncommon for workers to have work related deaths; working in the factories was very dangerous.