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Unionization , Page 7

Wobblies

A group of radical workers opposed the AFL and founded the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) also known as the Wobblies. The IWW represented all workers, including those who were unskilled, like miners and farm workers. It included many Socialists as members and had the long-term goal of changing the capitalistic economy.

IWW Meeting
IWW meeting


The Farmers’ Alliance formed in Texas in the 1870s and had over a million members by the mid-1880s. Its platform supported farmers and was directed toward federal and state government entities. The Farmers’ Alliance had a platform that included federal control of the railroad, antitrust laws, and farm credits. Women were active members of the Farmers’ Alliance and black Americans had a parallel group called the Colored Farmers’ Alliance. Their programs supported members who endured floods, droughts, and other natural disasters that decreased crops and livestock supplies.