Hidden Gems: HIS 151–History of American Labor
Published August 31, 2025
Workers march down a city street holding signs that read “ON STRIKE FOR LIVING WAGES.”
This course offers you the chance to look at the history of the United States from the point of view of working people who labored to build this country—all while engaging in a struggle for social and economic justice.
In HIS 151, History of American Labor, you will focus on the experiences of everyday working people as you examine their daily lives during major historical milestones from 1877 to the present. Learn about paid and unpaid labor, the birth of organized labor, the fight for the eight-hour workday and minimum wage, and the evolution of the union movement during the 20th century to the present day.
Through a variety of primary sources and other instructional materials, the perspectives of working people will be emphasized. This will provide you with provocative new ways of thinking about work, workers and those who built America.