Baltimore and the birth of organized labor: a Labor Day story tradition

The history of organized labor in the United States is one of struggle against seemingly hopeless odds, with victories often decades in the making. It’s a history in which Baltimore plays a proud part. In fact, the city can lay some claim as the birthplace of the national organized labor movement, more than 150 years ago. We recount the tale each year, our own Labor Day tradition. In the 1860s, local trades unions were common throughout the United States, but they were far from a unified force in national politics.