MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History March 22, 1886: Mark Twain, who was a lifelong member of the International Typographical Union, gave a speech entitled, “Knights of Labor: The New Dynasty.” In the speech, he commended the Knights’ commitment to fair treatment of all workers, regardless of race or gender. “When all the bricklayers, and all the machinists, and all the miners, and blacksmiths, and printers, and stevedores, and housepainters, and brakemen, and engineers . . . and factory hands, and all the shop girls, and all the sewing machine women, and all the telegraph operators, in a word, all the myriads of toilers in whom is slumbering the reality of that thing which you call Power, ...when these rise, call the vast spectacle by any deluding name that will please your ear, but the fact remains that a Nation has risen.”</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MarkTwain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MarkTwain</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/writer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writer</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/author" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>author</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fiction</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/race" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>race</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstadon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstadon</span></a></span></p>
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#knightsoflabor
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MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History February 16, 1885: The Knights of Labor struck Jay Gould’s Wabash Railroad when he fired members of their union. The strike tied up the entire line in the Southwest. Members of the union on other railroad lines refused to operate any trains with Wabash cars on it. Gould eventually agreed not to discriminate any more against members of the union. As a result, membership in The Knights of Labor swelled. When they struck again in 1886, at least 10 people were killed. The strike unraveled within a couple of months, leading to the demise of the union.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PoliceBrutality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PoliceBrutality</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/massacre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>massacre</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/railroad" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>railroad</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PoliceMurder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PoliceMurder</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/police" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>police</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>“What I want is for every dirty, lousy tramp to arm himself with a revolver or knife on the steps of the palaces of the rich and stab or shoot their owners as they come out.”<br>-Lucy Parsons</p><p>This was what Lucy Parsons, then in her 80’s, told a crowd at a May Day rally in Chicago, at the height of the Great Depression. The way folk singer Utah Phillips tells the story, she was the image of everybody’s grandmother, prim and proper, face creased with age, tiny voice, hair tied back in a bun.</p><p>Little is known about Lucy Parson’s early life, but various records indicate that she was born to an enslaved African American woman, in Virginia, sometime around 1848-1851. She may also have had indigenous and Mexican ancestry. Some documents record her name as Lucia Gonzalez. In 1863, her family moved to Waco, Texas. There, as a teenager, she married a freedman named Oliver Benton. But she later married Albert Parsons, a former Confederate officer from Waco, who had become a radical Republican after the war. He worked for the Waco Spectator, which criticized the Klan and demanded sociopolitical equality for African Americans. Vigilantes shot Albert in the leg and threatened to lynch him for helping African Americans register to vote. It is unclear whether her initial marriage was ever dissolved, and likely that her second marriage was more of a common-law arrangement, considering the anti-miscegenation laws that existed then.</p><p>In 1873, Lucy and Albert moved to Chicago to get away from the racist violence and threats of the KKK. There, they joined the socialist International Workingmen’s Association, and the Knights of Labor, a radical labor union that organized all workers, regardless of race or gender. They had two children in the 1870s, one of whom died from illness at the age of eight. Lucy worked as a seamstress. Albert worked as a printer for the Chicago Times. These were incredibly difficult times for workers. The Long Depression had just begun, one of the worst, and longest, depressions in U.S. history. Jobs were scarce and wages were low. Additionally, bosses were exploiting the Contract Labor Law of 1864 to bring in immigrant workers who they could pay even less than native-born workers.</p><p>Lucy and Albert Parsons helped organize protests and strikes in Chicago during the Great Upheaval. The police violence against the workers there was intense. One journalist wrote, “The sound of clubs falling on skulls was sickening for the first minute, until one grew accustomed to it. A rioter dropped at every whack, it seemed, for the ground was covered with them.” During the Battle of the Viaduct (July 25, 1877), the police slaughtered thirty workers and injured over one hundred. Albert was fired from his job and blacklisted, because of his revolutionary street corner speeches.</p><p>After the Great Upheaval, they both moved away from electoral politics and began to support more radical anarchist activism. Lucy condoned political violence, self-defense against racial violence, and class struggle against religion. Along with Lizzie Swank, and others, she helped found the Chicago Working Women’s Union (WWU), which encouraged women workers to unionize and promoted the eight-hour workday.</p><p>On May 1, 1886, 350,000 workers went on strike across the U.S. to demand the eight-hour workday. In Chicago, Albert and Lucy led a peaceful demonstration of 80,000 people down Michigan Avenue. It was the world’s first May Day/International Workers’ Day demonstration—an event that has been celebrated ever since, by nearly every country in the world, except for the U.S. Two days later, another anarchist, August Spies, addressed striking workers at the McCormick Reaper factory. Chicago Police and Pinkertons attacked the crowd, killing at least one person. On May 4, anarchists organized a demonstration at Haymarket Square to protest that police violence. The police ordered the protesters to disperse. Somebody threw a bomb, which killed at least one cop. The police opened fire, killing another seven workers. Six police also died, likely from “friendly fire” by other cops.</p><p>The authorities, in their outrage, went on a witch hunt, rounding up most of the city’s leading anarchists and radical labor leaders, including Albert Parsons and August Spies. Despite her efforts, and those of other activists fighting to free the Haymarket anarchists, the courts ultimately convicted the seven men of killing the cops, even though none of them were present at Haymarket Square when the bomb was thrown. They executed four of them in 1887, including Albert Parsons. On the morning of his execution, Lucy brought their children to see him for the last time. But the police arrested her and strip-searched her for explosives. Albert’s casket was later brought to Lucy’s sewing shop, where over 10,000 people came to pay their respects. 15,000 people attended his funeral. Several years later, the governor of Illinois pardoned all seven men, determining that neither the police, nor the Pinkertons, who testified against them, were reliable witnesses.</p><p>You can read my complete biography of Lucy here: <a href="https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/24/lucy-parsons/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/</span><span class="invisible">24/lucy-parsons/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/anarchism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>anarchism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/lucyparsons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>lucyparsons</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/civilwar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>civilwar</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/generalstrike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>generalstrike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sabotage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>sabotage</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/texas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>texas</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/chicago" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>chicago</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/police" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>police</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/policebrutality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>policebrutality</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pinkertons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pinkertons</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/prison" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>prison</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BlackMastadon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BlackMastadon</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History January 27, 1850: Class traitor Samuel Gompers was born. He became president of the Cigar Makers’ Union in 1875. He helped found the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions in 1881. This later became the American Federation of Labor, which quickly surpassed the Knights of Labor in size and power. Gompers supported the U.S. imperialist intervention in Cuba and its war against Spain. He later sided with the anti-imperialists in their opposition to the U.S. annexation of the Philippines. However, his motivation had nothing to do with compassion for the Philippine people, nor for the lives of working-class Americans sent there to kill and die. Rather, he feared competition from low-paid Filipino workers. For this same reason, he opposed immigration to the U.S. and supported xenophobic legislation, like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Gompers, and the AFL, supported “class harmony” and the right of bosses to exploit workers. Gompers supposedly said that the “greatest crime an employer can perpetrate against his employees is to fail to operate at a profit.” He led the anti-socialist faction within the AFL and only lost to them once. And he collaborated with the federal government in their harassment and arrests of members of the IWW.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/gompers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gompers</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/socialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>socialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/imperialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>imperialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/knightsoflabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knightsoflabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/xenophobia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>xenophobia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/philippines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>philippines</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AmericanFederationOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmericanFederationOfLabor</span></a></p>
Want Ch🔁nge? W🔁rk T🔁gether☑<p><a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Unions" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Unions</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Slogan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Slogan</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Quote" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Quote</span></a> </p><p>💬 An Injury to One is the Concern of All.</p><p><a href="https://qoto.org/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> / <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Motto" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Motto</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Unite" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Unite</span></a> !</p><p><a href="https://qoto.org/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Union</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/AntiAsianHate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiAsianHate</span></a> <br><a href="https://qoto.org/tags/Quotes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Quotes</span></a> <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/IndustrialWorkersOfThe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IndustrialWorkersOfThe</span></a>#World <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/DavidGraeber" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DavidGraeber</span></a></p><p>Industrial Workers of the World = <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> </p><p>Pictured: David Graeber in IWW T-shirt + Brian Kelly<br>May Day immigrant rights rally <a href="https://qoto.org/tags/NYC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NYC</span></a>'s Union Square #2007</p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History January 22, 1849: Terence Powderly, leader of the Knights of Labor, and mayor of Scranton, PA, was born on this date. the KOL attracted and spawned many radicals, including Daniel DeLeon, who went on to cofound the IWW and the Socialist Labor Party. Two of the Haymarket martyrs were also KOL members. The KOL, like its more radical cousin, the IWW, called for the abolition of the wage system. Like the IWW, their slogan was, “An Injury to One is the Concern of All.” And like the IWW, they claimed to fight for all workers, regardless of country, creed, gender or color. However, in reality, the union was xenophobic and racist, particularly toward the Chinese and participated in several anti-Chinese pogroms. </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiAsianHate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiAsianHate</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History January 22, 1890: The Knights of Labor Trade Assembly No. 135 and the National Progressive Miners Union merged to form the United Mine Workers of America. Their initial goals were improved mine safety, independence from company stores, and collective bargaining. In 1898, they won the 8-hour day. By the 1930s, the UMW had over 800,000 members. However, their history was filled with bloody strikes. On April 3, 1891, deputized members of the National Guard killed at least 10 striking UMW members in the Morewood massacre. The cops killed 19 striking UMW members in the Lattimer Massacre, September 10, 1897. Eight UMW members and five private detectives died in the Battle of Virden, in October 1898.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UnitedMineWorkers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UnitedMineWorkers</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/umw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>umw</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/massacre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>massacre</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mining</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/eighthourday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>eighthourday</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workplacesafety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workplacesafety</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/police" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>police</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History January 14, 1895: The Knights of Labor (KOL) initiated the Brooklyn trolley strike over wages and safety (lasting until Feb. 28). It was the largest strike Brooklyn had ever seen. The bosses brought in scabs from Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The drivers cut the wires, surrounded trains and assaulted the scab drivers. 2 people died. On January 19, the mayor called out the National Guard and declared martial law. Militiamen, with fixed bayonets, battled workers in the streets. Sympathetic locals threw rocks and bottles at the militiamen. When a supporter tried to disarm a soldier and was subsequently stabbed, the crowds of supporters swelled into the thousands. One New York paper called it another Paris Commune. However, the KOL had been weakened by years of poor leadership, and by the witch hunt that followed the Haymarket Bombing, and its membership had dwindled to under 100,000. They hadn’t waged a successful strike in years. In the end, the militia effectively quashed the strike and things returned to business as usual without the workers winning any of their demands.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/brooklyn" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>brooklyn</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/trolley" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>trolley</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/knightsoflabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knightsoflabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/martiallaw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>martiallaw</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wages" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>wages</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/scabs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>scabs</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ParisCommune" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ParisCommune</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/militia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>militia</span></a></p>
John Autry<p>December 28, 1869 - The (Noble and Holy Order of the) Knights of Labor, a labor union formed by tailors in Philadelphia, held the first Labor Day ceremonies in American history. Led by Uriah S. Stephens, they advocated an end to child and convict labor, equal pay for women, a progressive income tax and cooperative ownership of mines and factories by management and workers. They organized among the growing mass of industrial workers, their motto, “An Injury to One Is the Concern of All.”</p><p><a href="https://mindly.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History December 28, 1869: Uriah Stephens founded the Knights of Labor (KOL) on this date. Though the leadership often denounced socialists and anarchists, the KOL attracted and spawned many, including Daniel DeLeon, who would go on to later cofound the IWW and the Socialist Labor Party, as well as two of the Haymarket martyrs. The KOL also denounced strikes, yet, like its more radical cousin, the IWW, it called for the abolition of the wage system and fought to organize all workers into one big union, including women and immigrants. And, like the IWW, one of the KOL’s slogans was, “An Injury to One is the Concern of All.” </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/socialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>socialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/anarchism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>anarchism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History December 9, 1869: The Knights of Labor was founded in Philadelphia as a secret society open to all members of the working class. They specifically barred bankers, land speculators, lawyers, liquor dealers and gamblers from membership in their union. The Knights were one of the most important labor organizations of the late 1800s, reaching a membership of 700,000 by 1886. One of their first early successes was their strike against J. Gould’s Wabash Railroad. In addition to walking off the job, they occupied company buildings and sabotaged the tracks and equipment. While other unions were fighting for a 10-hour work day, the Knights were demanding an 8-hour day, as well as an end to child and convict labor. They were also one of the earliest labor organizations to accept blacks and women, and one of the first organized by industry, rather than craft. 50 African American sugarcane workers, organized by the Knights, were murdered by white scabs in the 1887 Thibodaux massacre. Their motto was “An Injury to One is the Concern of All.” Yet they also supported the Chinese Exclusion Act and participated in anti-Chinese riots, including one in Tacoma, Washington (1885) in which they expelled all the Chinese from town (at the time, 10% of the city’s population), as well as the Rock Springs massacre, in Wyoming (1885), which killed scores of Chinese. Support for the Knights quickly waned following the repression in the wake of the Haymarket Affair.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/knightsoflabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knightsoflabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Riot" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Riot</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AntiAsianHate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AntiAsianHate</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/eighthourday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>eighthourday</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History October 4, 1887: 10,000 Louisiana sugarcane workers went on strike with the Knights of Labor over terrible living and working conditions. On November 23, the Louisiana Militia, aided by white vigilantes, murdered 60 unarmed black workers during the Thibodaux Massacre. Hundreds were injured, murdered or went missing, including women and children. The massacre ended the strike and any concerted effort to organize black cane workers until the 1940s. Democrats in the state passed a series of laws in the wake of the strike that disenfranchised black voters and enforced segregation and Jim Crow. </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/knightsoflabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knightsoflabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KOL</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/louisiana" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>louisiana</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/jimcrow" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>jimcrow</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/massacre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>massacre</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/segregation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>segregation</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/vigilante" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>vigilante</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/blacklivesmatter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>blacklivesmatter</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/blm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>blm</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BlackMastadon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BlackMastadon</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History August 3, 1821: Uriah Stephens (1821-1882) was born in Cape May, New Jersey. He founded the Knights of Labor, one of the first successful nationwide unions. Stephens worked as a tailor in Philadelphia. In 1869, after the demise of the Garment Cutters' Union, he met with some former members to create the "Noble and Holy Order of Knights of Labor." It was to be a "brotherhood of toil," open to every laborer, mechanic, and artisan, regardless of country, creed, or color. The K of L was originally open to all working people and charged no dues. However, as the organization grew, so did its xenophobia. They supported the Chinese Exclusion Act. The K of L gave lectures on the evils of wage slavery, monopoly, and over-accumulation of wealth. </p><p>The union expanded quickly, becoming the most powerful labor organization of its day. By 1879, there were 23 district assemblies and 1,300 local assemblies. However, as the K of L grew, Stephens increasingly found himself at odds with rank-and-file members. In particular, they disliked his opposition to strikes. Additionally, the backlash against unions following the Haymarket affair, and the Panic of 1893, caused K of L membership to decline. The organization became defunct in 1949. </p><p>The Knights of Labor contributed significantly to the tradition of labor protest songs in America. They often included music in their meetings. The song "Hold the Fort" is a Knights of Labor revision of the hymn by the same name. It was the most popular labor song in America prior to Ralph Chaplin's IWW anthem "Solidarity Forever." </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/knightsoflabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knightsoflabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IWW" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IWW</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/xenophobia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>xenophobia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/folkmusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>folkmusic</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wageslavery" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>wageslavery</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/haymarket" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>haymarket</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History July 22, 1877: A General Strike began in St. Louis, as part of the national Great Upheaval wave of wildcat strikes. The St. Louis strike is generally considered the first General Strike in U.S. history. It was organized by the communist Workingman’s Party and the Knights of Labor. In addition to joining in solidarity with striking rail workers, thousands in other trades came out to fight for the 8-hour day and an end to child labor. For nearly a week, workers controlled all functions of society. Black and white workers united, even though the unions were all segregated. At one rally, a black steamboat worker asked the crowd if they would stand behind levee workers, regardless of race. “We will!” they shouted back. Another speaker said, “The people are rising up in their might and declaring they will no longer submit to being oppressed by unproductive capital.”</p><p>Whereas most of the worker uprisings that were occurring throughout the U.S. were spontaneous wildcat strikes (as most of the unions were opposed to the great strike), the situation in St. Louis was led by communists and was revolutionary. “There was a time in the history of France when the poor found themselves oppressed to such an extent that forbearance ceased to be a virtue, and hundreds of heads tumbled into the basket. That time may have arrived with us.” A cooper said this to a crowd of 10,000 workers in St. Louis, in July, 1877. He was referring to the Paris Commune, which happened just six years prior. Like the Parisian workers, the Saint Louis strikers openly called for the use of arms, not only to defend themselves against the violence of the militias and police, but for outright revolutionary aims: “All you have to do is to unite on one idea—that workingmen shall rule this country. What man makes, belongs to him, and the workingmen made this country.”</p><p>Karl Marx enthusiastically followed events during the Great Strike. He called it “the first uprising against the oligarchy of capital since the Civil War.” He predicted that it would inevitably be suppressed, but might still “be the point of origin for the creation of a serious workers’ party in the United States.” Ironically, many of the Saint Louis activists were followers of Ferdinand Lasalle, whom Marx despised. And some, like Albert Currlin, a Workingmen’s Party leader in Saint Louis, were outright racists, who mistrusted the black strikers and refused to work with them, undermining the success of the commune. Ultimately, 3,000 federal troops and 5,000 deputized police (i.e., vigilantes) ended the strike by killing at least 18 people and arresting at least 70. </p><p>My recent novel, “Anywhere But Schuylkill,” is about the coal strike that preceded the Great Upheaval. My work in progress, “Red Hot Summer in the Big Smoke,” opens exactly two weeks prior to the start of the Great Upheaval, with the mass execution of innocent coal miners and union organizers who were set up by the Pinkertons in those coal strikes.</p><p>You can get my novel from any of these indie retailers:<br><a href="https://www.keplers.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">keplers.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br><a href="https://www.greenapplebooks.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">greenapplebooks.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br><a href="https://christophersbooks.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">christophersbooks.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>And from: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-but-Schuylkill-Michael-Dunn-ebook/dp/B0CJVW1BP2" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">amazon.com/Anywhere-but-Schuyl</span><span class="invisible">kill-Michael-Dunn-ebook/dp/B0CJVW1BP2</span></a></p><p>You can read my complete article on the Great Upheaval here: <a href="https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/31/the-great-upheaval/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/</span><span class="invisible">31/the-great-upheaval/</span></a></p><p>You can read my complete article on the Pinkertons here: <a href="https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/04/union-busting-by-the-pinkertons/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/</span><span class="invisible">04/union-busting-by-the-pinkertons/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/greatupheaval" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>greatupheaval</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/paris" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>paris</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/commune" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>commune</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Revolutionary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Revolutionary</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/communist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>communist</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/saintlouis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>saintlouis</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pinkertons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pinkertons</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/generalstrike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>generalstrike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wildcat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>wildcat</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/knightsoflabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>knightsoflabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingmensparty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingmensparty</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/marx" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>marx</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/author" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>author</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/writer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writer</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fiction</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/historicalfiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>historicalfiction</span></a> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstadon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstadon</span></a></span></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History 7/16/1877: The Great Railway Strike (Great Upheaval) began in Martinsburg, WV, with strikes spreading across the country, despite the unions, which tried to block it. Boatmen, steelers, miners & workers of all ages, genders & races joined in. Militias & national guards were deployed. For the 1st time ever, federal troops were used to crush a strike. Workers fought back with rocks & bricks. They sabotaged equipment. Dumped railroad cars. Rerouted engines. Many of the poorly paid soldiers went AWOL & joined the strikers. In Lebanon, PA, they mutinied. Karl Marx called it “the first uprising against the oligarchy of capital since the Civil War.”</p><p>In Chicago & St. Louis, strikes were led by the communist Workingmen’s Party, affiliated with the First International. In Chicago, future Haymarket martyr, Albert Parsons, gave a fiery speech. In St. Louis, workers took over & ran the city for a week in what became known as the St. Louis Commune (after the Paris Commune of 1871). At a huge meeting in St. Louis, a black man asked: “Will you stand with us regardless of color?” The crowd replied: “We will!” </p><p>The Great Upheaval ended after 45 days, with over 100 workers slaughtered. In Pittsburgh, the militia killed 20 workers in 5 minutes. In Chicago, they killed another 20. In Scranton, up to 50 were killed. In the aftermath, unions became better organized, particularly the new Knights of Labor, which mushroomed in size. But the bosses learned many lessons, too. Many of the old stone armories we see across the country today were built after the Great Upheaval to provide cities with greater fire power for the next great strikes.</p><p>My novel, "Anywhere But Schuylkill," is part of the "Great Upheaval" trilogy. You can get a copy from these indie booksellers:<br><a href="https://www.keplers.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">keplers.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br><a href="https://www.greenapplebooks.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">greenapplebooks.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br><a href="https://christophersbooks.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">christophersbooks.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p>And from: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-but-Schuylkill-Michael-Dunn-ebook/dp/B0CJVW1BP2" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">amazon.com/Anywhere-but-Schuyl</span><span class="invisible">kill-Michael-Dunn-ebook/dp/B0CJVW1BP2</span></a></p><p>You can read my full article on the Great Upheaval here: <a href="https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/31/the-great-upheaval/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/</span><span class="invisible">31/the-great-upheaval/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wildcat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>wildcat</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GeneralStrike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GeneralStrike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/railroad" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>railroad</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/marx" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>marx</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/uprising" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>uprising</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/rebellion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>rebellion</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/chicago" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>chicago</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pittsburgh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pittsburgh</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/saintlouis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>saintlouis</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pariscommune" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pariscommune</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/communism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>communism</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History May 5, 1884: The Knights of Labor struck at Jay Gould’s Union Pacific over wage cuts and won. Because of their success in this strike, their membership rapidly grew. However, when the Knights struck again, in 1886, Gould defeated them and the union quickly started to unravel. 200,000 workers participated in the Great Southwest Train Strike of 1886. Gould hired Pinkertons to infiltrate union and to work as scabs. The Governor of Missouri mustered the National Guards. The Governor of Texas used the National Guards and the Texas Rangers against the strikers. At least ten people died during the strike.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WorkingClass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WorkingClass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/railroad" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>railroad</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TexasRangers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TexasRangers</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/massacre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>massacre</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pinkertons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pinkertons</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SocialistSunday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SocialistSunday</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today In Labor History May 1, 1884: The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, forerunner of the AFL, resolved that "8 hours shall constitute a legal day's work starting May 1, 1886." Ironically, this union, created as a conservative foil against the radical Knights of Labor, helped radicalize workers with its resolution. It was this fight, for the 8-hour day, that led a few years later to the Haymarket affair, the execution of innocent anarchists, and the international celebration of May 1 as International Workers Day.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EightHourDay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EightHourDay</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mayday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mayday</span></a></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History April 21, 1910: Mark Twain died. William Faulkner called him "the father of American literature." He grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which provided the setting for “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn.” He apprenticed with a printer and worked as a typesetter, contributing articles to the newspaper of his older brother Orion Clemens. He later worked as a riverboat pilot before heading west to join Orion in Nevada. Twain was famous for his wit and brilliant writing. However, he also had extremely progressive politics for his era. Later in his life, he became an ardent anti-imperialist. “I have read carefully the treaty of Paris and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem… And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.” During the Boxer Rebellion, he said that "the Boxer is a patriot. He loves his country better than he does the countries of other people. I wish him success." From 1901, until his death in 1910, he was vice-president of the American Anti-Imperialist League, which opposed the annexation of the Philippines by the U.S. He was also critical of European imperialists such as Cecil Rhodes and King Leopold II of Belgium, who attempted to establish colonies in African. He also supported the Russian revolutionaries fighting against the Tsar.</p><p>Many people have criticized him for his racism. Indeed, schools have banned “Huckleberry Finn.” However, Twain was an adamant supporter of abolition and said that the Emancipation Proclamation “not only set the black slaves free, but set the white man free also." He also fought for the rights of immigrants, particularly the Chinese. "I have seen Chinamen abused and maltreated in all the mean, cowardly ways possible... but I never saw a Chinaman righted in a court of justice for wrongs thus done to him." And though his early writings were racist against indigenous peoples, he later wrote that “in colonized lands all over the world, "savages" have always been wronged by "whites" in the most merciless ways, such as "robbery, humiliation, and slow, slow murder, through poverty and the white man's whiskey."</p><p>Twain was also an early feminist, who campaigned for women's suffrage. He also wrote in support of unions and the labor movement, especially the Knights of Labor, one of the most important unions of the era. “Who are the oppressors? The few: the King, the capitalist, and a handful of other overseers and superintendents. Who are the oppressed? The many: the nations of the earth; the valuable personages; the workers; they that make the bread that the soft-handed and idle eat.”</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/marktwain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>marktwain</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/racism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>racism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/feminism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>feminism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/imperialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>imperialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/abolition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>abolition</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Literature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Literature</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fiction</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/novel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>novel</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/author" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>author</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/writer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writer</span></a> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstadon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstadon</span></a></span></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History March 22, 1886: Mark Twain, who was a lifelong member of the International Typographical Union, gave a speech entitled, “Knights of Labor: The New Dynasty.” In the speech, he commended the Knights’ commitment to fair treatment of all workers, regardless of race or gender. “When all the bricklayers, and all the machinists, and all the miners, and blacksmiths, and printers, and stevedores, and housepainters, and brakemen, and engineers . . . and factory hands, and all the shop girls, and all the sewing machine women, and all the telegraph operators, in a word, all the myriads of toilers in whom is slumbering the reality of that thing which you call Power, ...when these rise, call the vast spectacle by any deluding name that will please your ear, but the fact remains that a Nation has risen.”</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MarkTwain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MarkTwain</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/writer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writer</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/author" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>author</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/books" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>books</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fiction</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/race" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>race</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstadon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstadon</span></a></span></p>
MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History February 16, 1885: The Knights of Labor struck Jay Gould’s Wabash Railroad when he fired members of their union. The strike tied up the entire line in the Southwest. Members of the union on other railroad lines refused to operate any trains with Wabash cars on it. Gould eventually agreed not to discriminate any more against members of the union. As a result, membership in The Knights of Labor swelled. When they struck again in 1886, at least 10 people were killed. The strike unraveled within a couple of months, leading to the demise of the union.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WorkingClass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WorkingClass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/union" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>union</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KnightsOfLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KnightsOfLabor</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/strike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>strike</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PoliceBrutality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PoliceBrutality</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/massacre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>massacre</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/railroad" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>railroad</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/solidarity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>solidarity</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PoliceMurder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PoliceMurder</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/police" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>police</span></a></p>
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