Ely Moore

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Ely Moore (July 4, 1798–January 27, 1860) was a Jacksonian Congressman from New York.

In 1833 Moore performed one of his last speeches. It was a stunning defense of Workers, Unions, and the Free Labor System. His stunning oration was in reply to an insulting speech by Waddy Thompson of South Carolina that called northern laborers "thieves who would raise wages through insurrection or by the equally rerible process of the ballot-box." Moore's speech containted stirring aggrivation at the unjust moneyed aristocracy, Nicholas Biddle (second US Bank), and the lack of equality of the wage earning worker. During his most heated rhetoric he collapsed onto the podium.

Moore headed and established the General Trades Union of New York. The GTU was the first Union containing multiple trades. In 1834 Ely Moore became President of the National Trade Union. The NTU spanned from Boston to St. Louis. The NTU helped to establish the 10 hour work day in many states. New York, his home state, had already established the 10 hour work day.

[edit] References

• Wilentz, Sean. "The Rise of American Democracy". W.W. Norton. New York and London. 2005.