Untitled Flashcards Set

Great Railroad Strike

1877; A nationwide protest by miners and railroad workers against wage cuts during an economic depression. This led to widespread strikes, riots, intervention by state militias, and federal troops being called in to restore order.

Haymarket Riot

1886; A labor demonstration in Chicago advocating for an eight-hour workday, which turned violent when a bomb was thrown at police. Resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, leading to public backlash against the labor movement and the decline of the Knights of Labor due to their association with the violence.

Homestead Strike

1892; An industrial lockout and strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania, between steelworkers and the Carnegie Steel Company. It was sparked by wage cuts and the company's refusal to negotiate with the union, leading to a violent confrontation between workers and Pinkerton agents.

Pullman Strike

1894; A nationwide railroad strike that began when workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Pullman, Illinois, protested wage cuts and high rents. The strike was led by Eugene V. Debs and the American Railway Union, disrupting rail traffic across the country.

Knights of Labor 

• labor union

• largest and most important labor organization of 1880s but short-lived

• important leader: Terrance V. Powderly

• fought for better conditions + 8 hr workday

• included 

  • skilled and unskilled workers

  • men and women

  • all races and ethnicity

American Federation of Labor (AFL

• founded by Samuel Gompers

• the AFL was a union open only to skilled laborers (aka a craft union)

• they did not allow minorities or women

• they were able to help shorten the work week and raise wages

• most successful at organizing skilled labor was founded in 1886 and focused on improving the skills and working conditions of its members through collective bargaining and strikes.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

• aka “Wobblies”

• founded in 1905 in Chicago

• led by William “Big Bill” Haywood

• Eugene V. Debs helped create

• welcomed EVERYONE

  • radicals

  • socialists

• known for violent protestsand militant strikes advocating for workers' rights, aiming to unite all workers to challenge capitalism.