This history of the first national strike also cover. Great railroad strike of 1877 project gutenberg self. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover. Strikes and lockouts railroads united states history 19th century. This book tells how it happened and how it started. Through examination of three new york state cities albany, buffalo, and syracuse stowell concludes that the great strike was an urban phenomenon. Robert bruce, historian of the 1877 strikes, writes 1877. There was a brotherhood of locomotive engineers that participated in the 1877 strike. The strike was the result of continued wage cuts of the laborers such as engineers and trainmen, while many of the companies continued to pay out dividends to its stockholders.
The great railroad strike of 1877 for kids rutherford hayes was the 19th american president who served in office from march 4, 1877 to march 4, 1881. Marking the 140th anniversary of the great railroad strike of. 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. Stowell is published by university of chicago press. Jackson, mi the history books call it the great railroad strike of 1877, as it was americas first major rail strike and first general strike. The great railroad strike of 1877 was very violent and this book really describes that. The railroad strike was the most violent uprising in american history. I think this is a great resource to use for my topic. The great railway strike of 1877 brought the nations commerce to a screeching halt, and the violence that erupted in baltimore and pittsburgh shook the nation. In the previous quarter of a century, the nation, spurred.
Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 request pdf. The strikers refused to let the trains run until the most recent pay cut was returned to the employees. Blood on the tracks by cecilia holland, kindle edition, 79 pages, 2011. Sometime after july 22, 1877, pittsburgh photographer s. The strike spread to pittsburgh and the pennsylvania railroad. Documents for the classroom maryland state archives 350 rowe boulevard annapolis, md. Great railroad strike of 1877, series of violent rail strikes across the united states in 1877. The railroad strike of 1877 was the tocsin that sounded a ringing message of hope to us all.
The great railroad strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the great upheaval, began on july 14 in martinsburg, west virginia, united states and ended some 45 days later, after it was put down by local and state militias, and federal troops. Sep 09, 2006 the strike spread to pittsburgh and the pennsylvania railroad. The railroad strike signaled the nations shift from southern reconstruction to the question of labor and class tensions. The railroad strike of 1877 in reading by ronald l. Read the great railroad strike of 1877 essay sample for. 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. The great railroad strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the great upheaval, began on july. The railroad strike of 1877 in reading berks history center. It was evident, said the annals of the great strikes in the united states, published in 1877, that there were agencies at work outside the workingmens strike. Jul 03, 2000 the 1877 railroad strike, the first labor walkout to follow the transcontinental train tracks from coast to coast, was one of the few such events to draw the attention of scholars before the consolidation of labor history as a distinct discipline in the 1960s. Trouble began with the baltimore and ohio railroad. The great railroad strike of 1877 new york state library.
Workers grumbled about the loss of income in small groups, and by the end of the day railroad firemen began walking off the job. Whereas most historians treat the event solely as a massive lab or strike that targeted the railroads, david o. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical studies of urban america stowell, david o. Song long black train walmart soundcheck sessions artist josh turner. View the book navigator for leachs recollections of a newspaperman from california as i saw it, 18491900. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 david o. 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. For example, the great railroad strike of 1877 spread from texas to new york, and involved tens of thousands of workers in multiple cities dacus, 1969. The baltimore railroad strike of 1877 involved several days of work stoppage and violence in baltimore, maryland, in 1877. Use your browsers back button to return to this point. More than 100,000 workers supported the strike, which was opposed by city and state militias, private militias, and, finally, by federal troops. 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.
Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 book. This violent strike shortly paralyzed americas commerce leading to the mobilization of militia by ten state governors to reopen the rail road traffic. For other books in the historical studies of urban america series, see. The crowd that converged, for example, on camden station numbered over 15,000. 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. Jul 19, 2017 sometime after july 22, 1877, pittsburgh photographer s. The great railroad strike of 1894 library of congress. The book streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877, david o. 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. The great railroad strike of july 1877 library of congress. In late july of 1877 the great strike, as it came to be called, shut down the entire railroad system in the united states, rolling westward from boston and new york, to baltimore and pittsburgh, and in a few days reaching chicago, the railroad hub of the country. Thanks to a writer generally known for her many historical novels, there is now available a gripping account of the reallife struggle of workers in 1877 against the railroad barons.
Traditionally the great strike of 1877 was seen as a strike by railroad workers in reaction to wage cuts. America came closer to social revolution than at any other time in its century of nationhood. Introduction the strike of 1877, also known as the great strike took place on railroads across the nation. Question 1 asks students to evaluate whether the excerpt provides enough evidence to draw conclusions about the broader railroad strike. Filippelli in the hot, midjuly of 1877, with the nation prostrate in the fourth year of a deep depression. Explain the impact this change has made on our lives and why it is an important change.
In the aftermath of civil war and reconstruction, the great strike seemed especially ominous. Picturing burnt machinery and twisted debris, albee documented the local aftermath of what scholars consider the first national labor action in the united states the great railroad strike of 1877. The goals of the railroad strike were for a wage increase. Stowell examines americas predicament m ore broadly to uncover the roots of this rebellion. This instructional packet uses newspaper articles from the nineteenth century to create a case study of a significant event in american labor history, the railroad strike of 1877, frequently referred to as the great strike. This link 4 identifies the order of railway conductors. 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. The great railroad strike of 1877 came at a time when the country was in the grips of an economic depression. Local populations feared that workers were rising in revolution such as the paris commune of 1871. The great strike of 1877 was one of the largest and most violent urban uprisings in american history. The 1877 railroad strike in baltimore by bill barry. The strike of 1877 was most violent labormanagement confrontation to that point in american history. Again, it happened outside the regular union, pentup anger exploding without plan. The 1877 railroad strike, the first labor walkout to follow the transcontinental train tracks from coast to coast, was one of the few such events to draw the attention of scholars before the consolidation of labor history as a distinct discipline in the 1960s.
Although urban dwellers quickly rallied to the strikers cause, their enthusiasm originated more from antipathy to train traffic than solidarity with trainmen. A particular strength of the book is stowells description of the horrendous. The great railroad strike of 1877, hosted by the university of pittsburgh librarys pittsburgh and western pennsylvania labor legacy project. Im here with labor historian bill barry, who wrote a wonderful book about the railroad strike. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877, stowell. He retired from journalism to become superintendent of the san francisco mint, 18971907. That year the country was in the fourth year of a prolonged economic depression after the panic of 1873. Industrial supremacy chapter 17 flashcards quizlet. The great railroad strike of 1877 one significant change that has occurred in the world between 1900 and 2005. Albee captured an extraordinary series of photographs.
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 of 1877, as it occured in. What do you think people learned from the great railroad strike of 1894. By the spring of 1877 the united states was entering its fourth year of a depression closely related to a collapse in the railroad industry. It started on july 17 in martinsburg, west virginia, after baltimore and ohio railroad had cut wages for the second time in one year.
Americas year of living violently by michael bellesiles. Year of violence, about a flagman named gus harris. The great railroad strike of 1877 was put down by both state militias and federal troops. Annotated bibliography great railroad strike of 1877.
Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical studies of. Protesters started to form and didnt let any trains move until the pay cut was restored. In this assessment, students evaluate an excerpt of an 1877 newspaper article about railroad strikes in columbus, ohio. In towns throughout citys there were battles, arrests, injuries and deaths. Business source premier, ebscohost accessed december 10. The people engaged in these riots were not railroad strikers.
What was the cause of the great railroad strike of 1894. The pictorial sketch book of pennsylvania, or, its scenery, internal improvements, resources, and agriculture, populary. The great strikes of 1877 working class in american history. The great railroad strike of 1877 led to many problems this strike, also referred to as the great upheaval, which began in july in a town named martinsburg, west virginia, the railroad strike ended fortyfive days after locals, state militias and federal troops shut it down. The strike of 1877, also known as the great strike took place on railroads across the nation. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 by david. The trainmen struck on monday, the 16th, and gathered in the depot at martinsburg to prevent the moving of the trains with other hands. Nick salvatore, railroad workers and the great strike of 1 877, labor history. The selection is on the successful strike on the erie railroad, one of a series of rail strikes that occurred after four. Working conditions the great railroad strike of 1877. Beginning with opposition to wage cuts and poor conditions the strikes led to nearinsurrections in parts of pennsylvania. The great railroad strike of 1877 moves on to the pennsylvania railroad.
Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 by david o. Title the great railroad strike of july 1877 summary 8 scenes and incidents at the principal points of the labor insurrection. Includes primary sources, a listing of relevant national history standards. Whereas most historians treat the event solely as a massive labor strike that targeted the. Which of the following properly assesses the significance of the great railroad strike of 1877. 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. Employees needed to have better working hours because when they went to work they needed to do a good job. Leach published the vallejo evening chronicle from 18671886 and the oakland enquirer from 18861898. The great railroad strike of 1877 helped make better working conditions for the employees. Request pdf streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 for one week in. The great railroad strike of 1877 began on july 17, 1877, in martinsburg, west virginia.
Bendann, depicts the 6th maryland regiment fighting its way through baltimore en route to suppress the rail workers strike. Whereas most historians treat the event solely as a massive labor strike that targeted the railroads, david o. The great railway strike of 1877 spread quickly within the region of the eastern railroads, but as the strikers and their sympathizers gathered in baltimore, they assumed a scale few americans expected. Louis, non railroad workers also abandoned city businesses, creating one of. Causes of the great railroad strike of 1877 781 words. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical studies of urban america. The great strike of 1877 was one of the largest and most violent urban uprisin gs in american history. And that seemingly isolated incident quickly turned into a national movement.
Great railroad strike of 1877 ohio history central. The first major strike in the united states history was the great railroad strike of 1877. A spectacular example of collective violence, the great strikes of 1877 was the first national strike and the first major strikes against the railroad industry. There was also, apparently, a brotherhood of engineers, conductors and firemen 3. Railroads united states employees history 19th century.
Licensed to youtube by umg on behalf of mca nashville. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877, stowell the chicago distribution center has reopened and is fulfilling orders. Louis, nonrailroad workers also abandoned city businesses, creating one of the nations first general strikes. Consists of a series of stereoview cards showing the aftermath of the strike in pittsburgh. One of the important events during his presidency was the great railroad strike of 1877. Just as remarkable as the 1877 railroad strike was its aftermath. Railroads were trying to make up for the financial losses by cutting wages, which. I found this book useful because it provided a unique perspective on the strikes and showed that, even just a few months after the strike, historians believed it. Jul 31, 2018 the great railroad strike of 1877 began with a work stoppage by railroad employees in west virginia who were protesting a reduction in their wages. Lessons of the great uprising of 1877 workers world. More than 00 workers participated in the strikes, at the. Includes a tokenx language analysis of documents related to the strike, a gis map displaying the spread of the strike across the northeastern united states, and a gis map displaying the movements of strikers and sympathizers during the july 20, 1877 baltimore rail riots.
The great railroad strike of 1877 was the countrys first major rail strike and witnessed the first general strike in the nations history. 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. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical. 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. This map details the locations of specific events which occurred in pittsburgh, pennsylvania during the course of the great railroad strike and insurrection of 1877. Louis strikers have been standing there for over a week and still not backing down. 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. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 project muse. True congresss decision in 1885 to abolish the contract labor law was a victory for labor. Survey of the great railroad strike of 1877, a series of violent rail strikes across the united states. At the time of the 1877 strike, stowell demonstrates persuasively, there was a hidden army of protesters waiting to be mobilized against the haughty train masters.