Labor movements have outlasted different political, economic, and social epochs, beginning with the liberal order of the late nineteenth century, extending into the interwar era, the Cold War, the Washington Consensus, and beyond. The labor movement, originating in the manufacturing sector, was an active participant in bringing democracy and often national independence to these regions, benefitting as well from these same social and political currents. In the modern age of capitalism, the factory was the crucible in which the labor movement took form. The conventional history of the labor movement regards big and rich countries, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as role models in achieving social reforms. Even as globalization channeled the demands of labor in Old and New Worlds alike, international economic integration framed its achievements. The macroeconomic and political upheavals of the interwar years altered the balance of power in labor markets.