In towns throughout citys there were battles, arrests, injuries and deaths. Beginning with the great railroad strike of 1877, through the great upheaval of. The first major strike in the united states history was the great railroad strike of 1877. The rise of industrial america, 18771900 gilder lehrman institute. Great railroad strike of 1877, series of violent rail strikes across the united states in 1877.
The cause of the railroad strike here is alleged to be the new order requiring a double train to be taken out with one crew of men. The movement spread into pennsylvania, when workers on the pennsylvania and reading railroads. Terms in this set 35 great railroad strike of 1877. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 david o. The great strike of 1877 was one of the largest and most violent urban uprisings in american history. 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. The great railroad strike of 1922 became the fifth biggest labor strike in the nations history. Many railroad workers went on strike in response to wage cuts. The depression of the 1870s forced the american railroads into a costcutting mode. Eventually president hayes sent in troops to put the strikers down. Title the great railroad strike, 1894 summary photograph shows special patrolling train rock island railroad, with company c, 15th u.
Scott demanded that nonviolent strikers in pittsburgh be fed a rifle diet for several days. Many workers did not approve of this and one railroad company at a time all stopped working and started a strike. As cecilia holland writes in blood on the tracks, this great upheaval isnt much. The railroad strike of 1877 in reading by ronald l.
Starting with the socalled great upheaval of 1877 a huge strike by railroad workers in. The great railroad strike of 1877 new york state library. Reforms in the south seemed unlikely in 1877 when congress resolved the. 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. What lead up the great railroad strike of 1877 was a depression that started in september of 1873. The great railroad strike the great railroad strike of. The best book i have seen on american labor as a social movement. The great upheaval was in the end thoroughly defeated, but the struggle was. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. When the great railroad strikes of 1877 were over, a hundred people were dead, a thousand people had gone to jail, 100,000 workers had gone on strike, and the strikes had roused into action countless unemployed in the cities.
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. While this book has not been published in a print edition, it is. The great railroad strike of 1877 national history day. The great railroad strike of 1877 was a national crisis and involved more than 100,000 railway workers in 14 states. That year the country was in the fourth year of a prolonged economic depression after the panic of 1873. Launched on july 1, 1922, by seven of the sixteen railroad labor organizations in existence at the time, the strike continued into the month of august before collapsing. 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. In response workers burned down the railroad yards in the city and ended up destroying millions of dollars of their property. Annotated bibliography great railroad strike of 1877. Although the strike itself failed, it evoked further labor upheaval, organization of. Then federal troops went from city to city, putting down strike after strike until after a. Starting in the 1800s, american workers began to form labor unions. More than 100,000 workers had gone on strike, shutting down nearly half of the nations rail systems. There was absolutely no advanced planning, showing how many rank and file workers had the same concerns about quality of life, as well as the same anger at those who controlled the wealth.
Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical studies of urban america. Marking the 140th anniversary of the great railroad strike of 1877 duration. Provoked by the baltimore and ohio railroads decision to cut wages for the second time in a year. There was a possibility, that the next strike could come in the history as the continue reading great railroad strike of 1877 it was just the. The great railroad strike of 1877 was the countrys first major rail strike and witnessed the first general strike in the nations history. The strikers refused to let the trains run until the most recent pay cut was returned to the employees. The statements of the pullman company and the report of the commission, together with an analysis of the issues. The great railroad strike of 1922, commonly known as the railway shopmens strike, was a nationwide strike of railroad workers in the united states. Traditionally the great strike of 1877 was seen as a strike by railroad workers in reaction to wage cuts. Great railroad strike of 1877 project gutenberg self.
Timeline of the great railroad strike the great railroad. In addition to cookes direct infusion of capital in the railroads, the firm had become a. Although often overlooked by apush texts and teachers, the great railroad strike is attracting an increasing attention from apush test writers. But the great railroad strike is an event that spread quickly and died quickly. The railroad strike of 1877 in reading berks history center. Through examination of three new york state cities albany, buffalo, and syracuse stowell concludes that the great strike was an urban phenomenon. A brief bibliography, compiled by francis watts lee. The new book, titled the 1877 railroad strike in baltimore. However, the correct answer is the great railroad strike of 1877. This article is within the scope of the military history wikiproject.
I found this book useful because it provided a unique perspective on the strikes. 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. Employers started making wage cuts because of the debt our country was in from fighting in the civil war. Lessons of the great uprising of 1877 workers world. The great railroad strike of 1877 the great railroad strike of 1877 began in the month of july and started off in a town called martinburg which was located in the state of west virginia. What were some push and pull factors for immigrants coming to the u. 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.
This violent strike shortly paralyzed americas commerce leading to the mobilization of militia by ten state governors to reopen the rail road traffic. The statements of the pullman company and the report of the commission, together with an analysis of the issues by ashley, w. The great railroad strike, 1894 library of congress. This site explores the history of railroads, telegraphs, and technologies in the nineteenth century, especially the era of the civil war. The great railroad strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the great upheaval, began on july. In the previous quarter of a century, the nation, spurred. Great upheaval of 1877 to the teamsters ups strike of 1997, here is the story of mass.
The 5 calibers to claim the most powerful handgun in the world title reupload duration. Albee captured an extraordinary series of photographs. Great railroad strike of 1877 ohio history central. Under intense pressure from railroad big shots to break the strike, the. As cecilia holland writes in blood on the tracks, this great upheaval isnt much discussed in american history classes, in civics classes, in popular literature. Lessons of the great uprising of 1877 more than a railroad strike by deirdre griswold published jan, 2012 2. The great railroad strike of 1877 heralded a new era of labor conflict in the united states.
Fraser is one of the great historians of both american capital and labor over the past thirty. Background during world war one, all railroads in the united states were overseen by the united states railroad administration usra which paid workers decent wages and provided for an eighthour workday. Millions of americans had become wage workers when businesses boomed, but a bank panic partly sparked by the instability caused by. The expulsion of the acadians, also known as the great upheaval, the great expulsion, the great deportation and le grand derangement, was the forced removal by the british of the acadian people from the presentday canadian maritime provinces of nova scotia, new brunswick, prince edward island and northern maine parts of an area also known as acadia. The great railroad strike of 1877 new york state library nysed.
Whereas most historians treat the event solely as a massive labor strike that targeted the. Great upheaval was the result of independent initiatives up and down the rails. Sometime after july 22, 1877, pittsburgh photographer s. Filippelli in the hot, midjuly of 1877, with the nation prostrate in the fourth year of a deep depression. The strike of 1877, also known as the great strike took place on railroads across the nation. From baltimore to chicago, the great railroad strike of 1877 led to bloody clashes between workers and troops before it was finally put down by force. Louis strikers have been standing there for over a week and still not backing down. The employers say the strike arose because business has been dull and some of the men expected an early discharge.
It is a story of continuously oppressed workers who found a tipping point, and, trying to regain their lost wages, ended up tumbling off a cliff. The classic signposts of strugglethe 1877 railroad strike. Then followed the great railroad strike of 1878, though it was not so great anymore and was suppressed brutally. This strike finally ended some 69 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the national guard, and federal troops. The explosive uprising in the summer of 1877 came about after the heads of the four. 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.
And that seemingly isolated incident quickly turned into a national movement. The great railroad strike of 1877 was the first nationwide strike of workers in the united states. The sheriff telegraphed to governor hartranft to call out the militia to suppress the railroad. Railroads, factories, and farms grew at breakneck speed in the years. To use this banner, please see the full instructions c. Although the strike itself failed, it evoked further labor upheaval, organization of american workers, and longterm political and social change. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 by. The great railroad strike started on july 17, 1877 in martinsburg, west virginia. The strikes and the violence it spawned briefly paralyzed the countrys commerce and led governors in ten states to. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 by david. United states attorney general at the time, harry daugherty said, agitation of railroad strikers at shawnee is at as high a pitch as any point in the united states. Ohio tribune called the greatest railroad strike in the nations history.
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. Its a shame that the great railroad strike of 1877 isnt pondered more. The great railroad strike of 1877 was just the start, though a very powerful start. Over one hundred thousand railway workers across 14 states followed them.
Grade 11 us history social studies louisiana believes. 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. The immediate cause of the great railroad strike can be traced to the economic depression that followed the panic of 1877. Streets, railroads, and the great strike of 1877 historical studies of urban america stowell, david o. In the aftermath during 1877, the government made it so that. The strikes were precipitated by wage cuts announced by. 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. The great railroad strike of 1922 by stephen koppekin 2. In response to the great railroad strike of 1877, pennsylvania railroad president thomas a.
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