great strike of 1877

What was the most important event in U.S History between 1877 and 1920? The most important event in U.S History between 1877 and 1920 was The Great Strike of 1877. The Great Strike of 1877 was the most important event between 1877 and 1920 because it began the Great Strike, it was the most violent labor-management confrontation to that point in American history and the amount of people who died, went to jail or went on strike was insurmountable. The Great Strike of 1877 was the most important event in U.S history because it was the beginning of an era of strikes. On September 18, 1873, the bank panic, disintegrated into depression. According to Boyer and Morais “ weekly the layoffs, wage cuts, strikes, evictions, breadlines and hunger increased,” UE News Features (n.d). The Great Strike of 1877- Remembering a Worker Rebellion. Retrieved from http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/uen_1877.html. The depression stretched into 1874 and the unemployed demanded work and unions fought wage cuts. Millions of people suffered through the months of the depression of wage cuts. According to Boyer & Morais “by 1877 there were as many as three million unemployed people [roughly 27 percent of the working population],” UE News Features (n.d). The Great Strike of 1877- Remembering a Worker Rebellion. Retrieved from http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/uen_1877.html. “Two- fifths of those employed were working no more then six to seven months a year and less than one-fifth was regularly working. And the wages of those employed had been cut by as much as 45 percent, often to little than a dollar a day” UE News Features (n.d). The Great Strike of 1877- Remembering a Worker Rebellion. Retrieved from http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/uen_1877.html. As a result of the wage cuts people were going hungry and some were committing suicide. The second reason why The Great Strike of 1877 was the most important event in U.S history is “because it was the most violent labor-management confrontation to that point in American history”, Railroad Strike of 1877 (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h717.html. Demonstrations, general strikes and violence occurred in cities across the nation. Pittsburg had the greatest loss of life and property damage, Railroad Strike of 1877 (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h717.html. In 1877 the strike began in Pittsburg. The Great Strike was the beginning of an era of controversy between employees and employers. In Pittsburgh the state militia wouldn’t fire on the strikers so the governor ordered the National Guard from Philadelphia to restore order, History of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2801.html. The soldiers fired at the crowd taking more than 20 lives, including women and children. People heard that Maryland governor had called the state militia and more than 2,000 men and women gathered around the state armory to protest, the protest became so violent that troops fired at anyone near the riots, killing and injuring women and small children, What happened during the Railroad Strike of 1877? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/blog/railroadstrike/happened.html. The last reason why the Great Strike of 1877 was the most important event in U.S history is because the amount of people that went on strike, went to jail, and died were insurmountable. By 1877 over hundred people died due to the strike. In the first week of July, in Baltimore, 139 babies died. As a result of the strike and the depression poor families lived in cellars and drank infested water, the children became sick in large numbers and many died, Zinn, Howard. The great railroad strike, 1877. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.libcom.org/history/articles/us-rail-strikes-1877. The New York Times wrote, “… Already the cry of the dying children begins to be heard.” Zinn, Howard. The great railroad strike, 1877. Retrieved from http://www.libcom.org/history/articles/us-rail-strikes-1877. On August 1, 1887 the strike was over. Over 100,000 people in fourteen states had been involved, thousands of people had gone to jail, over 100 were dead and there was 5 million dollars worth of damage, The History of the U.S. Working Class. (2013, May 20). Retrieved from http://www.historyoftheusworkingclass.blogspot.com/2013/05/twiggs-great-strike-of-1877.html. Many people might think The Great Strike of 1877 wasn’t important because it was about people losing their jobs, however, it was more than that. The Great Strike of 1877 was the start of a new era. Due to this immortal act many people became homeless, went into starvation and deep depression. Over the forty-five days during the strike more then 100,000 people were involved and over 100 people died including women and children. The Great Strike of 1877 was the most violent labor management in American history. Thousands of people were imprisoned and there was approximately 5 million dollars worth of damage to property. This strike did more damage than most people realized it would. It was the starting era of controversy between employees and employers. In conclusion The Great Strike of 1877 was the most important event in U.S history because it was the beginning of an era of strikes, it was the most violent labor-management confrontation to that point in American history and the amount of people that went on strike, to jail, and died were insurmountable. The long-term effects from this era helped to contribute to the financial deficit the Nation is currently facing. Historically, since the great depression, our Nation has not been able to recover financially as is evident by the economic downfall. The number of homelessness, job cuts, and people living in poverty continues to increase over time. According to the National Poverty Center, in the late 1950’s, poverty affected 39.5 million Americans, Retrieved from http://www.npc.umich.edu/poverty/#3. According to the Census Bureau, in 2012, poverty affected 46.5 million Americans, Retrieved from http://www.money.cnn.com/2013/09/17/news/economy/poverty-income/. Given these statistics the Nation may never recover if the Government does not learn from their predecessors.