User:JSL22/Great Railroad Strike of 1877

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The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first strike that spread across multiple different states in the U.S. This strike finally ended 52 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the National Guard, and federal troops. Because of economic problems and pressure on wages by the railroads, workers in numerous other cities, in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, into Illinois and Missouri, also went out on strike. An estimated 100 people were killed in the unrest across the country. In Martinsburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and other cities, workers burned down and destroyed both physical facilities and the rolling stock of the railroads—engines and railroad cars. Some locals feared that workers were rising in revolution such as the Paris Commune of 1871, while others joined their efforts against the railroads.

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The origin of the Railroad Strike occurred in Martinsburg, West Virginia, at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) station on July 16, 1877. It was caused by a 10 percent wage cut which resulted in the workers deciding no train leaves the station until the wage cut was eliminated. Police were forced to take control after a crowd had gathered in support of the railroad workers. This crowd was unable to be broken up so West Virginia Governor Henry M. Matthews sent in the militia forces. However the forces he sent were still unable to send off the roughly 600 trains stuck at the B&O station due to the crowds. Also, many of the militiamen the Gov. sent were also railroad workers and in support of the strike. Matthews requested federal troops to help assist this strike, and on July 20 trains were finally able to leave Martinsburg.

Strike ends
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began to lose momentum when President Hayes sent federal troops from city to city. Federal troops from the south previously used in the Reconstruction after the Civil War were also sent to the striking cities to disperse the crowds. These troops from the south had just been guarding the statehouse in Louisiana a few weeks earlier. They were sent to stop the riots of both the railroad laborers and the residents of the striking cities. Many residents in the cities of Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany, New York joined the railroad workers in the strike because they were tired of their urban streets being used by the railroad companies. The railroads that ran through these cities were often very dangerous and caused plenty of issues for urban businesses and city dwellers alike. Even with the combined efforts of the railroad strikers and upset citizens, the troops stood their ground against the strikers and obeyed the orders received from their commanders. This, combined with the strikers sporadic and unorganized revolts, ultimately led to the downfall of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. These troops broke strike after strike, until approximately 45 days after it had started, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was over. The lack of a political leader or party's support of the revolt really caused the strike's power to dissipate as well.

Effect of The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
In total, there were roughly over 100,000 people that were involved in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. Of those involved, nearly 1,000 people were jailed and about 100 were killed. The strike caused over 50% of the United States' freight being carried on the railroads to stop for some time. In the end, the strikers did not win and were not given higher wages. However, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 did pave the way for future strikes after proving that national labor action was possible in the United States. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 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 ultimately led to increased membership in the Knights of Labor as well. Labor rights became a major national issue for both the republican and democratic parties due to the strike. The Bureau of Labor was also formed by Congress in 1884 after the national call for labor rights and the aftermath of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877.