Morgan, Thomas J., 1847-1912

Thomas John Morgan was born in Birmingham, England, October 27, 1847, the son of Thomas John and Hannah (Simcox) Morgan. Educated at Sunday and evening schools, Morgan worked at the machinist trade during and after his schooling. On January 26, 1868, he married Elizabeth Chambers of Birmingham and in 1869 he and his bride migrated to the United States, where they settled in Chicago. Morgan continued to work as a machinist. Rising quickly in the ranks of the labor movement in his trade, Morgan became President of the Machinists’ Union of Chicago in 1874, the same year that he became a member of the Socialist (Workingman’s) Party. In 1875 Morgan was a delegate to the Chicago Trades Assembly, and four years later he represented the Chicago Trades Assembly before the Legislative Committee of Inquiry into the Conditions of Labor. In the same year (1879) Morgan represented the Socialists of Chicago before a Congressional Committee of Inquiry.

In the years 1877 to 1880 Morgan was active in organizing the Socialist Labor Party. During the same period he prepared Workshop and Factory laws, which he had presented before the Chicago City Council in 1879 and which were adopted by the Council and made a part of the Municipal Code of Chicago. In 1888 Morgan organized the Woman’s Alliance for Protection of Women and Child Workers. In the same year he became editor of the journal Trades Assembly. In conjunction with Mrs. Morgan he prepared a twenty-four page pamphlet concerning Chicago sweat shops, which was published by Trades Assembly in 1891. By that year, Morgan had risen to be chairman of the joint committee of all the labor organizations of Chicago. This position undoubtedly was influential in Morgan’s receiving the Socialist Labor nomination for mayor of Chicago in 1891.

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