English-born American labor leader, founded the American Federation of Labor (born 1850)

Samuel Gompers

Samuel Gompers was a British-born American cigar maker and labor union leader. A key figure in American labor history, Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's president from 1886 to 1894, and from 1895 until his death in 1924. He promoted harmony among the different craft unions that comprised the AFL, trying to minimize jurisdictional battles. He promoted thorough organization and collective bargaining in order to secure shorter hours and higher wages, which he considered the essential first steps to emancipating labor.

Born

1850

January 27

Died

1924

Era

1850s

Country

About

Samuel, in brief

Samuel Gompers was a British-born American cigar maker and labor union leader. A key figure in American labor history, Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's president from 1886 to 1894, and from 1895 until his death in 1924. He promoted harmony among the different craft unions that comprised the AFL, trying to minimize jurisdictional battles. He promoted thorough organization and collective bargaining in order to secure shorter hours and higher wages, which he considered the essential first steps to emancipating labor.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

  1. 1850 Born
  2. 1924 Died

Also on January 27

What else happened on this day, through history

See all of January 27 →

The world in 1924

When Samuel departed

Read the year 1924 →

Same-day contemporaries

Also born on January 27

See everything on January 27 →

Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1850

Keep going

More to explore