The Great Railroad Strike and Labor Unions during the 19th Century
This collage of photos shows scenes from the major points during the strike. It shows the first attack by Chicago police on the mob, the ruins of the round-house and carshops at Pittsburgh, rioters tearing up rails of the bridge at Corning, New York, rioters marching down NYCentral track at West Albany, N.Y. Construction gang repairing tracks at Corning, under protection of 23d Regt, NYSNG, mob threatening members of the 9th Regt., NYSNG, at Delevan House, Albany, 9th Regt NYSNG takign poss. West Albany freightyards, and construction gang righting cars, protected by militia, Corning.
Source: Library of Congress
Source: Library of Congress
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first railroad and labor strike in U.S. history. It started in July of 1877, when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company made another 10 percent cut to their employees. The B and O Railroad Company was not the only company making cuts. Several other eastern companies started making cuts earlier that year. Many employees were not happy with the wages they were making and decided to go on strike. Many workers from different companies started joining together and went on strike. This strike did not only involve railroad workers but, farmers and laborers also got involved. The strike started in Martinsburg, West Virginia on July 17, 1877. It spread north to Pennsylvania and east to Missouri. This strike eventually turned violent, where government forces had to get involve and use weapons to stop mobs.