The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was founded in 1886 as a federation of craft unions seeking to strengthen organized labor through mutual support. It emerged from conflicts with the Knights of Labor, whose efforts to organize individual members of craft unions threatened the independence of established trade organizations. Its formation grew partly out of labor conflicts in New York City, including a major 1886 dispute involving the Cigar Makers’ International Union. The federation was initially dominated by skilled craft unions, particularly in the building trades, and Samuel Gompers, a leader of the Cigar Makers’ International Union, became its first full-time president. He was re-elected almost every year until his death in 1924 and became one of the most prominent spokespeople for the American labor movement.
