Pullman Strike (11 май 1894 г. – 20 июл 1894 г.)

Описание:

A large railroad strike, mostly in Chicago, IL, organized by the American Railway Union (ARU). They were protesting that the Pullman Company had cut their wages due to the Panic of 1893, yet the workers' rent costs had stayed the same, leaving many workers unable to afford housing. The ARU, led by Eugene V. Debs, had control of over a third of Pullman workers, who organized a boycott of the company. In just a few days, over 100,000 workers had joined the boycott. On June 29, Debs gave a speech in Blue Island, IL that enraged workers into burning buildings and attacking trains. Workers all over the country joined the strike, prompting federal intervention in the form of Attorney General Richard Olney. He obtained a court injunction demanding that workers quit the strike. When they refused, Brigadier General Nelson Miles commanded a force of over 10,000 US troops, leading to conflict with the workers. Their justification was that the shutdown of the railroad system inhibited the government's duty to deliver mail. Public response was divided, but most people supported Pullman including AFL founder Samuel Gompers.. The media played on American's nativist feelings by portraying the strikers as lawless foreigners. Debs was arrested, but the charges were dropped. The government ordered Pullman to sell is residential facilities. Congress created Labor Day as a federal holiday in an effort to appease workers angry about the event.

Casualties:
30 strikers killed
57 strikers wounded
$80 million in property damage

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