Labor History Project by Julian Hollis

Manhattan, New York, NY

22002824 — 2024-12-17 19:21:58 UTC

The Manhattan shirtwaist fire was a tragic event was a small shirt waist company was a business that made women's blouses and was based out of a building in Manhattan on the 8th floor. It was believed that a shirtwaist caught on fire due to a stray cigarette ember and as a result the other fabric along with the building went up in flames. Many lives were lost this day and as a result fire safety measure became a standard for all workplaces and workers compensation became more popular.

(Henry Clay Frick was an idustrialist in New York City that took advantage of the working class.)

Milwaukee, WI

21037115 — 2024-12-17 19:23:17 UTC

Bayview Tragedy (5/5/1886)- Seven people died as a result, including a thirteen-year-old boy. Several more were injured during the protest. They received fair working hours, higher wages, and better working conditio

Pullman, WA

21037115 — 2024-12-17 19:25:26 UTC

Pullman Strike (5/11/1894)- The Pullman Strike demonstrated the power of the labour movement. However, in precipitating the use of an injunction to break the strike, it opened the door to greater court involvement in limiting the effectiveness of strikes.

West Virginia

21037115 — 2024-12-17 19:26:59 UTC

Great Strike of 1877 (7/14/1877)- It marked the first major nationwide labor strike in the United States, where railroad workers across multiple states spontaneously protested against severe wage cuts during an economic depression, leading to widespread violence and disruption of rail traffic.

Beatrice, NE

21031814 — 2024-12-17 19:27:46 UTC

The Homestead Strike (5/20/1862)- Passed on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territory by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and five years of continuous residence on that land. The steel mill was reopened and the strike ended, people were rehired.

Atlanta, Georgia

21037115 — 2024-12-18 19:01:46 UTC

Atlanta Washerwoman Strike 7/19/1881 - In the end, the strike not only raised wages it, more importantly, established laundresses and all black women workers as instrumental to the New South's economy. The strike raised wages and all black women workers were instrumental to the economy, the former slaves were now acknowledged.

Marshall, Texas

21031814 — 2024-12-18 19:06:04 UTC

Great Southwest Railroad Strike (3/1/1886)- Led to the rise of certain political parties including the Workingmen's Party of the United States, the Greenback-Labor Party, and the Populist Party. The strike didn’t work, people lost their jobs, and the public was against the workers.

Chicago, IL

21037115 — 2024-12-18 19:07:17 UTC

Haymarket Affair 5/4/1886 - A bomb was thrown into a striking crowd, which killed 7 policemen. 8 anarchists were arrested and 5 of them died either by suicide or death penalty. 3 were pardoned by the governor of Illinois 7 years later, as all of the defendants had alibis showing they did not throw the bomb. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was created. They continued fighting for an 8-hour work day and on May 1 the next year (1886), they established the first May Day to protest for workers’ rights.

(Mother Jones, also organized strikes in Illinois)

Schuylkill County, PA

21031814 — 2024-12-18 19:10:55 UTC

Great Anthracite Coal Strike (10/3/1902)- Marked the first time the government acted to resolve a strike both without force and without such a clear legal justification. They received a 10% wage increase, the hours went from 10 to 9 hours, and the owners got a higher price for coal.

Elaine, AR

21031814 — 2024-12-18 19:14:56 UTC

Lattimer Massacre (9/10/1897)- Was the killing of at least 19 unarmed striking immigrant anthracite miners by a Luzerne County sheriff's posse at the Lattimer mine near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1897. A lot of the miners were killed and all of them were immigrants.

Legend/Key

22002824 — 2024-12-19 02:43:44 UTC

Blue marks - Strike

Red marks - Tragedy