The Workingmen’s Party was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1828, and was the first political party in the United States that was pro-labor. The 1820s were a time of transition from a predominantly agrarian society to an industrial one. With this came a growing gap between employers and employees, and the rich and the poor. The working class felt that laws such as imprisonment for debt (even minor debt), compulsory service in the militia, as well as a lack of free public education and universal male suffrage, affected them disproportionately. They also called for restraints on public spending. The Workingman’s Party was an attempt to address these issues by political action. During the winter of 1830-1831, most of the counties of Massachusetts formed associations of their own, with men from the towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts, forming theirs in November of 1830.
Central Committee- Workingmen’s Assoc. Workingmen’s Association broadside. Broadside/Poster. February 24, 1831. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l10-013/. Accessed on January 3, 2025.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.