What We Do

Discover the St Clement’s Island Museum where Maryland's founding story comes to life. Explore exhibits that highlight the rich history of the Piscataway People and early settlers. Stand on the historic island where the first English settlers landed in 1634, accessible by water taxi. Experience the beauty of the Potomac River and immerse yourself in the culture that shaped the Chesapeake Bay. Don’t miss the chance to learn and explore this unique site in St. Mary’s County.

The West Virginia mine wars were a series of violent labor uprisings that raged throughout the southern coalfields of West Virginia in the early 1900s. Throughout the conflict, thousands of miners organized into labor unions to fight back against the oppressive policies of coal company operators. Read on to discover the amazing history of the West Virginia mine wars and their impact on American labor rights!

In 1966, "The Forty Acres," a parcel of land in Delano, California, became the headquarters for the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), the first permanent agricultural labor union in the United States.

Union Square was a politically significant gathering place for labor activists into the twentieth century. Groups considered radical such as anarchists, socialists, and “Wobblies” (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) used Union Square as a meeting place leading up to World War I. In stride with its deeply political role in United States history, Union Square continues to be a site of protest, from annual Labor Day marches to recent Black Lives Matter activism.

Focusing on the ways that people make a living and make a life in America, this Pathway features content about labor organizing, entrepreneurship, education, and recreation.

The Brown Building, formerly known as the Asch Building, was the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911. One hundred and forty-six garment workers died in the blaze. In its aftermath, outraged advocates demanded stronger workplace safety protections and better working conditions for those who toiled in the city's sweatshops.

"Pathways in Freedom" is a new digital program that explores life for Salem’s African American community in the years following the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts. "Pathways in Freedom" harnesses the power of technology to offer an Pathways in Freedom offers an opportunity for students and the general public alike to gain a deeper understanding of the past so that we might better confront the injustices of today.

As part of the New Deal Program, to help lift the United States out of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The CCC or C’s as it was sometimes known, allowed single men between the ages of 18 and 25 to enlist in work programs to improve America’s public lands, forests, and parks.