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Archie Bunker, as played by Carroll O’Connor, was the lead character on the 1970s hit television show All In the Family. The show ran from 1971-1979 and redefined how social issues could be incorporated in entertainment. Because it combined comedy with dramatic real-life issues, the show has become known as one of the greatest television shows of all time. The show, and its actors, received numerous awards including several Emmy’s. Culturally the show impacted many aspects of society. Dozens of modern television shows have made reference to the show. The chairs that were used by the main characters, Archie and Edith Bunker, are even owned and on display at the Smithsonian Museum.

In 1972, All in the Family and its cast of characters were promoted with merchandise as a tie-in with the U.S. presidential election of that year. 

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The patriarchal figure in the 1970s television series All in the Family was Archie Bunker, played by Carol O’Connor, who never missed an opportunity to espouse the good old days and why he believed the country was going down the tubes.  Bunker believed the past attitudes towards race, religion, gender and politics should have held firm and continually argued with his liberal son-in-law, Mike, against progressive ideas.  “Those were the days” the opening and closing theme song of the show sung by Bunker and his wife Edith included lines lamenting the way it was -  “Didn’t need no welfare state, everybody pulled his weight,” and “you knew who you were then, girls were girls and men were men.”

In 1972, All in the Family and its cast of characters were promoted with merchandise as a tie-in with the U.S. presidential election of that year. 

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The United Steelworker of America (USW) is one of the best known and largest unions in the U.S. In 1942, the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers met with the Steel Workers Organization Committee in order to form a new unified union of Steelworkers, and USW was born. In 1944, this was expanded to include the Aluminum Workers of America as well as other metal-related workers joined. In 1952, the first president of the USW, Phillip Murray, passed away. In 1953, David McDonald became the president of USW. In 2008, USW merged with Unite the Union of the United Kingdom an Ireland to create the first Trans-Atlantic union since the mid-1930's. Today, the union has nearly a million members, is very active politically, has dramatically expanded the base that it represents and shows no signs of slowing down.

Dues paid by 'check off,' means that the monthly membership fees paid by unions members are simply taken directly from their pay check.

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In 1888, Thomas Talbot, a machinist in one of Atlanta, Georgia’s railway yards organized 18 of his fellow workers together and voted to form a trade union.  At the time, machinists earned 20-25 cents an hour for a ten-hour day.  Because it was formed in an era where employers were hostile to organized labor, the Order met in secret for several years.  However, during this time “boomers” who were men that traveled the railway lines looking for work, spread the word about the union and soon there were 189 lodges organized. Over the next century the union numbers continued to grow and the organization became affiliated with the International Metalworkers Federation.  Today, the membership numbers over 800,000.

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In 1954, Walt Disney Studios released a series of live-action adventures films centered around folk hero Davy Crockett, played by Fess Parker. The series included: Davy Crockett Indian Fighter, Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier, and Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

Davy Crockett, born in Tennessee, was an American politician, colonel, and folk hero from the 19th century. Crockett served in the militia in Tennessee before being elected to legislature in 1821. Following this election, Crockett became a member of the House of Representatives from 1827-1835, where he strongly opposed President Andrew Jackson's policies, especially the Indian Removal Act, and was part of the National Republican party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party. 

Crockett was killed while fighting at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio Texas on March 1836 at the age of 49. After his death, Crockett gained a larger than life reputation due to plays, almanacs, and, in the 20th century, movies and television shows. because of this, he became known as the "King of the Wild Frontier" and an American folk hero.

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In 1954, Walt Disney Studios released a series of live-action adventures films centered around folk hero Davy Crockett, played by Fess Parker. The series included: Davy Crockett Indian Fighter, Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier, and Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

Davy Crockett, born in Tennessee, was an American politician, colonel, and folk hero from the 19th century. Crockett served in the militia in Tennessee before being elected to legislature in 1821. Following this election, Crockett became a member of the House of Representatives from 1827-1835, where he strongly opposed President Andrew Jackson's policies, especially the Indian Removal Act, and was part of the National Republican party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party. 

Crockett was killed while fighting at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio Texas on March 1836 at the age of 49. After his death, Crockett gained a larger than life reputation due to plays, almanacs, and, in the 20th century, movies and television shows. because of this, he became known as the "King of the Wild Frontier" and an American folk hero.

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The white triangle inside a white circle is the symbol for the International Walk for Development, a worldwide movement that took place May 8-9, 1971. Pope Paul VI first stated that "development is the new name for peace" in his 1967 encyclical Populorum Progressio, in which Paul called for the progressive development of peoples to combat hunger, poverty, endemic disease, and ignorance. In response to the Pope's demand for progress, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States helped launch the International Walk for Development. Countries across the world took part in walks, protests, and other activities to advocate for human development and equality. 

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Automatic Electric Company was a telephone equipment supplier founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901 by Almon B. Strowger.  Strowger desired to manufacture automatic telephones that would not require switchboard operators.  This led him to found the Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company which held the first patent for such a device, which later became the Automatic Electric Company.  The Illinois Tunnel Company was one of the largest users of the Automatic Electric telephone.  The AE 40 Monophone was manufactured from 1939-1950 and is the most distinctive phone notable for this era, and came in a variety of colors ranging from purple to bright red.  The company was merged into GTE Network in 1983. 

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This button is one of eight in a collectible series, possibly used in vending machines. "Bleacher Bums" refer to Chicago Cubs fans who sit in the bleacher section at Wrigley Field. The group was originally referred to as "bums" because, due to their ability to regularly attend day games, the assumption was that they did not have jobs. Many of these fans were, and are, students at the many colleges and universities in the Chicago area, including Loyola, Northwestern and DePaul. The group was started in 1967 by fans and a sports radio host Mike Murphy, who believes that the Bleacher Bums started the tradition of throwing opposing teams' home run balls back onto the field. A Broadway play written collaboratively by members of the Organic Theater Company in Chicago, and starring Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz, began running in 1977. A performance of the play was aired on PBS in 1979, and a made-for-television movie adaptation of the play came out in 2002. Bud Light bought the naming rights to the bleacher section in 2006, naming it the Bud Light Bleachers. 

Read more about the History of Cubs Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.

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The Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Founded in 1876 as the Chicago White Stockings, the team was renamed in 1903. The Cubs were a founding member of the National League, and now play in the National League Central Division. The team is affectionally known as “The Cubbies” or “North Siders” and play their home games at Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field. They have a loyal fan base and—regardless of decades of mixed success—are one of the most popular franchises in baseball. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs went on to break a 108-year losing streak curse with their first World Series championship since 1908. The official Cubs team mascot is a young bear cub named Clark. The button seen is one of eight in a collectible series, possibly distributed in vending machines. 

Read more about the History of Cubs Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.