Workers grumbled about the loss of income in small groups, and by the end of the day railroad firemen began walking off the job. Great railroad strike of 1877 university of pittsburgh. The great railroad strike and labor unions was a turning point in history because it was the first strike between laborers and businessmen. Great railroad strike a labor strike that struck nationwide in the united states. In towns throughout citys there were battles, arrests, injuries and deaths. He retired from journalism to become superintendent of the san francisco mint, 18971907. The great railroad strike the great railroad strike of 1877. They turned deadly, with as many as 100 people killed in clashes.
Workers were tired of the conditions they had to work in and the treatments they received. That morning workers in pittsburgh struck against reduced wages and the institution of doubleheading, the practice of doubling the number of rail cars without increasing. The strike began in martinsburg, west virginia, on july 16, 1877, after workers of the baltimore and ohio railroad were informed that their pay would be cut 10 percent. The railroad strike of 1877 in reading by ronald l. Trouble began with the baltimore and ohio railroad. Mar 11, 2014 the great railroad strike of 1877 duration. Jul 31, 2018 the strike began in martinsburg, west virginia, on july 16, 1877, after workers of the baltimore and ohio railroad were informed that their pay would be cut 10 percent. That first week of july 1877, in baltimorea city where sewage ran through the streets9 babies died. Terms in this set 25 what was the main cause of the great railroad strike.
The great railroad strike of 1877 was a labor strike also called the great upheaval. Then federal troops went from city to city, putting down strike after strike until after a few weeks the great railroad strike of 1877 was over. In the previous quarter of a century, the nation, spurred. At the onset of the first world war railroads employed a significant number of americans but were marred with bitter labor disputes. Media in category great railroad strike of 1877 the following 8 files are in this category, out of 8 total. Timeline of the great railroad strike the great railroad. This site is focused on the history of railroads and rail workers providing links to. Because of economic problems and pressure on wages. Great railroad strike of 1877 july 14, 1877 old guard.
The great railroad strike of 1877 begins, july 24, 1877. A look at the railroad strike of 1877 in reading provides us with an opportunity to study the issues and events of the great strike in microcosm through the experience of one community. After west virginia railroad workers strike to protest wage reductions, sympathy strikes and violence spread across the. The great strike of 1877 was one of the largest and most violent urban uprisings in american history.
The railroad strike of 1877 in reading berks history center. Beginning with opposition to wage cuts and poor conditions the strikes led to nearinsurrections in parts of pennsylvania. They also did not llike the wages they received after the hours they had to work. Encyclopedia of greater philadelphia railroad strike of 1877. Meetings of working men in chicago on july 26 led to workers from a number of industries striking on the following morning, and over the. The great railroad strike the great railroad strike of. The baltimore railroad strike of 1877 involved several days of work stoppage and violence in baltimore, maryland, in 1877. This site explores the history of railroads, telegraphs, and technologies in the nineteenth century, especially the era of the civil war. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical.
Initiated as a more or less spontaneous railway workers strike, it became generalized into a nationwide crescendo of street protests and pitched battles. Millions of americans had become wage workers when businesses boomed, but a bank panic partly sparked by the instability caused by. The aflcio labor history timeline highlights the key events and the people who helped. The great railroad strike started on july 17, 1877 in martinsburg, west virginia. The latter part of the 1800s would see the rise of unions and more strikes. The railroads were the advance agents of industrialism, opening a national market for the first time and themselves providing a market for iron, steel, coal, and the. Read the great railroad strike of 1877 essay sample for. Railroad strike of 1877united states 1877 source for information on railroad strike. Filippelli in the hot, midjuly of 1877, with the nation prostrate in the fourth year of a deep depression. The great railroad strike of 1894 american memory timeline. A timeline created with timetoasts interactive timeline maker.
In this assessment, students evaluate an excerpt of an 1877 newspaper article about railroad strikes in columbus, ohio. July 20, 1877 august 29, 1877 in pittsburg, pennsylvania the strikes all ended due another strike took place. The great railroad strike of 1877 began on july 17, 1877, in martinsburg, west virginia. These events influenced later events in the next two decades. The strike of 1877 was touch off by a series of wage cuts on nearly every railroad in the nation. May 19, 2020 survey of the great railroad strike of 1877, a series of violent rail strikes across the united states. In 1877, the us was in the grips of a severe economic depression.
Sep 09, 2006 the great railroad strike, 1877 howard zinn howard zinns short history of the biggest industrial dispute in american history by that time, shutting down half the countrys rail network. That year the country was in the fourth year of a prolonged economic depression after the panic of 1873. The great railroad strike of 1877 new york state library. Workers grumbled about the loss of income in small groups, and by the end. It may be used by teachers of middle school students in grade 8, high school students in grade 11, or resource and academic intervention programs. Many workers did not approve of this and one railroad company at a time all stopped working and started a strike. Approximately one hundred people were killed as a result. Like morale after fredericksburg, this assessment asks students to source and corroborate a document. Great railroad strike of 1877 ohio history central. In 1877 an explosion of workingclass protest rocked the united states.
When the great railroad strike of 1877 was over, 100 people were dead, over. Camden station and the great railroad strike of 1877 explore baltimore heritage duration. John risch, smart tds national legislative director, spoke with jaisal noor of on the significance of the 140th anniversary of the first national railroad strike that began july 14, 1877, also known as the great railroad strike and great upheaval more than 100,000 workers participated in the strike, which lasted 45 days. Great railroad strike of 1877, series of violent rail strikes across the united states in 1877. For one week in late july of 1877, america shook with anger and fear as a variety of urban residents, mostly working class, attacked railroad property in dozens of towns a nd cities. The strikers refused to let the trains run until the most recent pay cut was returned to the employees. The great railroad strike of 1877 was the angry response of railroad workers to wage reductions, job cuts, and the profiteering by the huge railroad corporations that had risen to dominance after the civil war. Railroad strike of 1877 in late july of 1877, chicagoans played their part in the first nationwide uprising of workers. It formed a part of the great railroad strike of 1877, during which widespread civil unrest spread nationwide following the global depression and economic downturns of the mid1870s. Louis strikers have been standing there for over a week and still not backing down. The reading railroad massacre occurred on july 23, 1877, when strikes in reading, pennsylvania, led to an outbreak of violence, during which 10 to 16 people were killed and between 20 and 203 were injured. July 14, 1877 july 17, 1877 july 18, 1877 july 20, 1877 the workers of the martinsburg workers for the baltimore the workers blockaded federal troops sent railroad went on strike because, and ohio railroad went on the railroads by tipping by the president arrived.
In may 1877, a military code had been accepted by the general assembly. That year, there were a series of dramatic strikes by railway workers in a dozen cities that shook the nation as no labor dispute had ever done in history. Railway work was already poorly paid and dangerous. Choose from 8 different sets of the great railroad strike of 1877 revealed. The emphasis on this strike also shows the low level of workers activity in contemporary baltimore, so that we have to reach back 128 years for significant activity. The great railroad strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the great upheaval, began on july 14 in martinsburg, west virginia, after the baltimore and ohio. Feb 16, 2010 camden station and the great railroad strike of 1877 explore baltimore heritage duration. The chicago railroad strike of 1877 was a series of work stoppages and civil unrest in chicago, illinois, which occurred as part of the larger national strikes and rioting of the great railroad strike of 1877. Survey of the great railroad strike of 1877, a series of violent rail strikes across the united states. The great railroad strike of 1877 was the countrys first major rail strike and witnessed the first general strike in the nations history. For one week in late july of 1877, america shook with anger and fear as a variety of urban residents, mostly working class, attacked railroad property in dozens of towns and cities. In the following excerpts from part of his autobiography, he describes the great railroad strike in 1894 and the impact that it had on the nation and on california.
John risch, smart tds national legislative director, spoke with jaisal noor of on the significance of the 140th anniversary of the first national railroad strike that began july 14, 1877, also known as the great railroad strike and great upheaval. Question 1 asks students to evaluate whether the excerpt provides enough evidence to draw conclusions about the broader railroad strike. The effects were being felt everywhere, including the railroad business. The strikes and the violence it spawned briefly paralyzed the countrys commerce and led governors in ten states to mobilize 60,000 militia members to reopen rail traffic. The great strike of 1877 was one of the largest and most violent urban uprisin gs in american history. The trainmen struck on monday, the 16th, and gathered in the depot at martinsburg to prevent the moving of the trains with other hands. Starting on july 16, the great railroad strike of 1877 began in martinsburg, west virginia, spread quickly throughout the nation, and reached pennsylvania on july 19. The railroad strike of 1877 was the tocsin that sounded a ringing message of hope to us all.
In the following excerpts from part of his autobiography, he describes the great railroad strike. Gowen had established himself as the peer of such giants as carnegie, gould, rockefeller and vanderbilt. Impact on future labor the great railroad strike of 1877. Leach published the vallejo evening chronicle from 18671886 and the oakland enquirer from 18861898. More than 100,000 workers participated in the strikes, at the height of which more than half the freight on the countrys tracks had come to a halt. Labor strikes for the rail workers still occurred in the future in 1884 to 1886, 1888 to 1889, and in 1894. The strikers refused to let the trains run until the most recent pay cut was returned to. Lastly, once the pullman strike was eventually defeated, an intense debate between craft unionism and industrial unionism about labor movement has been going on for several decades now. This strike finally ended some 69 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the national guard, and federal troops. The great railroad strike, 1877 howard zinn howard zinns short history of the biggest industrial dispute in american history by that time, shutting down half the countrys rail network. Employers started making wage cuts because of the debt our country was in from fighting in the civil war.
America came closer to social revolution than at any other time in its century of nationhood. Beginning with opposition to wage cuts and poor conditions the. Annotated bibliography great railroad strike of 1877. Nor did the strike leaders have a clear program for victory. Even though the leaders stood up to the unions, the labor movement continued to grow. This was the united states first major railroad strike. Meetings of working men in chicago on july 26 led to workers from a number of industries striking on the following morning, and over the next few days, large crowds gathered throughout. The material is designed for teachers and students of new york state and american history, particularly teachers of middle school students in grade 8 and high school.
How did the great railroad strike of 1877 demonstrate the. More than 100,000 workers participated in the strike, which lasted 45 days. The railroad strike of 1877, part of a nationwide series of strikes that began on the baltimore and ohio line and spread westward to competing lines, erupted in cleveland when brakemen and firemen at the collinwood railroad yards of the lake shore and michigan southern see new york central railroad struck at noon on 23 july 1877 in response to a 20% wage cut. In 1877, the railroad companies were tightening their belts due to an economic depression. It set the scene for other important events including the 1886 haymarket square bombing in chicago, the 1892 homestead steel strike near pittsburgh and the 1894 pullman strike. Turning point the great railroad strike of 1877 and the. Bendann, depicts the 6th maryland regiment fighting its way through baltimore en route to suppress the rail workers strike.
The great railroad strike of 1877 essay united states railroad track total cover increased steadily and was at its peak at the end of the civil war. It was the climax of local events during the great railroad strike of 1877 towards the end of the long depression of 18731879, following arson and riots against local facilities of the. The first major issue occurred in may 1877 when the pennsylvania railroad imposed a second 10% wage cut in two years. Beginning with the great railroad strike of 1877, through the great upheaval of 1886 that culminated in the slaughter at. The strike spread to pennsylvania, maryland, new york, illinois and missouri. Opposite 32nd and 31st sts opposite 30th and 31st sts. What came to be known as the great railroad strike of 1877 began on july 14 in martinsburg, west virginia. Many strikes that occurred in the united states took place because of these railroad riots. This strike cause severe wage cuts, stopped railroad traffic, and the battles between strikers and troopers that broke out in an easily estimate of 26 states. More than 00 workers participated in the strikes, at the. Terence powderly, director of the knights of labor, took lessons from the 1877 strike to channel worker outrage into effective protests. Each of the strikes were quelled by federal troops, the riots had lasted for about 1 month. Also, one result was the increasing of the public awareness of railroad workers. In response, the railroad announced a ten percent pay cut for all employees.
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