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bargaining. They favored unions, and this led to a huge increase in the union membership. By January of 1917, the AFL had 2,370,000 members. The number increased, and two years later they had 3,260,000. (3)Throughout the twentieth century, union struggles increased and decreased. During the 1920?s, the economy was high and generally prosperous for all Americans. The Great Depression in the 1930?s was a time of hardship and poverty for many workers. Unions actually benefited with the help of Frankilin D. Roosevelt who promised Americans a “New Deal”. The Wagner Act was passed which guaranteed workers the right to join unions and bargain collectively. The National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) was formed. The board could hold elections so that workers could vote for the union they wanted to represent them. The board could also stop unfair practices used by employers against unions. America was developing into the country it is today. (4)The purpose and philosophy of a union, that a group is more powerful than any individual, has not changed throughout time. Americans are still fighting for what they believe in. They have been since the development of the country. Americans have realized that working together in unison is important for achieving their goals. The country would not have survived if the people had not compromised and “shared the wealth”. Although we as a nation have conflicts in the society that we live in, the past has taught us to handle problems calmly, rationally, and together. Many Americans take their job benefits for granted, not realizing the struggles our ancestors underwent for their security and happiness. The Constitution states that every American is entitled to the right of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. If the workers were controlled and overpowered by their employers, and treated inhumanely, then they were like slaves serving their masters. In conclusion, unions developed in America due to the slavery-like conditions facing the American worker. Works CitedAACTchrNET. Industrial Revolution Student: Unions are Born. {Online} Available http://157.182.12.132/omdp/marge/html/student/unions.htm, December 11, 1999.AACTchrNET. Industrial Revolution Student: Factory Conditions. {Online} Available http://157.182.12.132/omdp/marge/html/student/fac_cond.htm, December 11, 1999.AFL-CIO American Federalationist. A Short History of American Labor. {Online} Available http://www.unionweb.org/history.htm., December 7, 1999.Department of Humanities Computing. An Outline of American History: The Struggle of Labor. {Online} Available http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H?1994?ch8_p2.htm, December 7, 1999.James Connolly Society. Industrialism and the Trade Unions: 1886 The Haymarket Riot. {Online} Available http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/timeline/haymarket.html, December 11, 1999.Ophem, Marieke Van. The Iron Horse: Labor Conflicts and Unionism: the Railroad Unions. {Online} Available http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/E/ironhorse/ironhorse20.htm, December 8, 1999.Unknown. Labor and Unions in America. {Online} Available http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/306.shtml, December 8, 1999.Working People-Fall 1996 issue. A Brief History of Labor in America: The Factory System Part I. {Online} Available http://www.vais.net/~bweiner/articles/labrhist.htm, December 8, 1999.