American Federation of Labor Records
Scope and Content Note
The records of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) consist of letterpress books of the correspondence of Samuel Gompers and William Green, presidents of the organization, and by other officials including James Duncan, Gabriel Edmonston, Frank Keyes Foster, and John McBride. The collection is arranged, filed, and numbered as received. Volumes 251, 310, and 313 were not received by the Library. Each volume contains an index of correspondents.
The records span the years 1883-1925 and relate to the formation of local unions, meetings, charters, bylaws, ethics, publicity, arbitration, the political principles of the AFL, communism, socialism, the anthracite coal strikes of 1897 and 1902, fund-raising, boycotts, the United Mine Workers, the American Railway Union, the International Association of Machinists, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the American Federationist, magazine of the AFL. Correspondents include Susan B. Anthony, Grover Cleveland, William Hugh Johnston, John L. Lewis, L. J. McGruder, P. J. McGuire, John Mitchell, John Morrison, Herman Robinson, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), Daniel Joseph Tobin, Henry White, and Woodrow Wilson.
Dates
- Creation: 1883-1925
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Access and Restrictions
The records of the American Federation of Labor are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of the American Federation of Labor is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Extent
172,300 items
354 containers
90.3 linear feet
341 microfilm reels
Abstract
Labor organization. Letterpress books containing correspondence of Samuel Gompers and William Green, presidents of the American Federation of Labor. Other letters are signed by James Duncan, Gabriel Edmonston, Frank K. Foster, and John McBride.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically by volume, followed by an addition.
Catalog Record
Provenance
The records of the American Federation of Labor consisting of letterbooks of presidents Samuel Gompers and William Green were given to the Library of Congress by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1966 and 1969.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of these records is available on 341 reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition.
Online Content
The records of the American Federation of Labor are available on the Library of Congress Web site at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/collmss.ms000094. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the online edition.
Processing History
The records of the American Federation of Labor were processed in 1973. The finding aid was revised in 2003.
Source
- American Federation Labor (Creator, Person)
Subject
- Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906--Correspondence. (Person)
- Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908--Correspondence. (Person)
- Duncan, James, 1857-1928--Correspondence. (Person)
- Edmonston, Gabriel--Correspondence. (Person)
- Foster, Frank K. (Frank Keyes,) 1854-1909--Correspondence. (Person)
- Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924--Correspondence. (Person)
- Green, William, 1870-1952--Correspondence. (Person)
- Johnston, William Hugh, 1874-1937--Correspondence. (Person)
- Lewis, John L. (John Llewellyn), 1880-1969--Correspondence. (Person)
- McBride, John, 1854-1917--Correspondence. (Person)
- McGruder, L. J.--Correspondence. (Person)
- McGuire, P. J. (Peter James), 1852-1906--Correspondence. (Person)
- Mitchell, John, 1870-1919--Correspondence. (Person)
- Morrison, John, Esq.--Correspondence. (Person)
- Robinson, Herman--Correspondence. (Person)
- Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919--Correspondence. (Person)
- Tobin, Daniel Joseph, 1875-1955--Correspondence. (Person)
- White, Henry, 1866- --Correspondence. (Person)
- Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence. (Person)
- American Federation of Labor. (Organization)
- American Railway Union. (Organization)
- International Association of Machinists. (Organization)
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters. (Organization)
- United Mine Workers of America. (Organization)
Topical
- Anthracite Coal Strike, Pa., 1897.
- Anthracite Coal Strike, Pa., 1902.
- Anthracite coal industry--Pennsylvania.
- Arbitration, Industrial--United States.
- Boycotts--United States.
- Charters.
- Coal mines and mining--United States.
- Communism.
- Fund raising--United States.
- Labor disputes.
- Labor union meetings--United States--Planning.
- Labor unions--Moral and ethical aspects--United States.
- Labor unions--Organizing--United States.
- Labor unions--Public relations--United States.
- Labor unions--United States--By-laws.
- Professional ethics--United States.
- Publicity.
- Socialism.
- Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining--Pennsylvania.
Uniform Title
- Title
- American Federation of Labor Records
- Subtitle
- A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress
- Author
- Prepared by Joseph SullivanRevised by Patrick Kerwin
- Date
- 2004
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Manuscript Division Repository
Manuscript Reading Room
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