Protests: The Role Of Discrimination In The 19th Century

As the rich became richer and the poor became poorer, it was realized by the laborers of the railroad that their nation's economic growth and prosperity was not being equally shared among the people. Coupled with years of wage cuts (35% over 3 years), and workforce reductions, that then required remaining workers to work 15-18 hour days, the workers fought back.

The Pullman Strike strike was named after George Pullman. George Pullman was a man who became rich off of his manufacturing of sleeper and luxury railcars (Lawrence). Pullman was so successful that he had a city named after him, which he owned. In the panic of 1893, Pullman’s revenue dropped because of the lessened demand for his cars (McNamara). Because of this drop in revenue, Pullman cut the wages of his workers, but kept the rent the same. Worker’s became outraged because they couldn’t afford these changes. Pullman refused to negotiate with his workers, which caused the American Railway Union, lead by Eugene Debs, to take action (McNamara). This union consisted of over 260,000 workers nationwide to participate in the strike. Worker’s supported the ARU by not moving trains with Pullman cars (Ginger). This caused Detroit traffic to come to an

“There should be no discrimination against languages people speak, skin color, or religion,” said Malala Yousafzai (BrainyQuotes). Separation was one of the huge parts of the 1800's through the 1900s that had many individuals talking and even had an action set against it. Though the act tried to help get rid of it, it did not go as planned. People are mainly against individuals who are much different than what the norm is. Discrimination mainly focused on racism and the act of believing what someone else does is wrong. Along with immigration and sexism to go with everything else.

In 1894 Debs was confronted with his most daunting situation to date. He presided over the infamous Pullman strike in Chicago in 1895. This proved to be the most important event in Debs' life regarding the formation of his ideologies. This was the first strike in America which was not authorized by the laborers local unions. The employees being both members of their local unions and Debs' ARU showed their allegiance to the ARU and struck with Debs' approval. The workers refused to operate any trains with Pullman cars on them except

This was the country’s first railroad strike in nation’s history as well as the first general strike. Strikes and violence spawned briefly, paralyzed the country’s commerce, and led the governors in ten states to mobilize militias to reopen rail traffic. Northern railroads were stills struggling from the Financial Panic of 1873, which led to cutting salaries and cutting wages. Another thing is cutbacks promoted

The West Virginia brakemen started the upheaval by uncoupling cars, blocking railroads, suspending the intercourse of travel and business on some of the great trunk lines of the country and announcing that no freight trains would be allowed to travel until their wages were reinstated to the normal rate.5 The workmen in Pittsburgh and Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco also joined them. Moreover, both working class and middle class people from the Martinsburg community who bore no wage relation to the railroad company also showed support by gathering at the town depot to prevent the arrest of strikers by police.7 Violence came with the strike as the workers destroyed more than $2 million worth of railroad property and the militia also fired on the crowds, killing more than 20 people. Furthermore, because the strike was already defined as “insurrection”, and that the “bloody conflict” was too much for the militia, they asked for help and involved federal troops and the army – ensuing further

In the following years, the American Federation of Labor became very influential. The AFL did not attempt to overhaul the basic economic system but instead pressed for a better position within the existing system. Although the founders of the AFL were strongly against strikes, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), created by Eugene Debs, openly called for class aggression. Debs led the Pullman Strike, a nationwide railroad strike that pitted the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company, which had laid off many union workers, and had reduced wages up to 30% for those workers that remained. Within four days, 125,000 workers on twenty-nine railroads went on strike. This strike and boycott provoked the federal government to intervene. They arrested Debs on conspiracy to obstruct the mail, as well as for disobeying an order directed to him by the Supreme Court to stop the obstruction of railways and to dissolve the boycott. Continued complaints of the laborers in the unions led to strikes and law suits filed not only by the labor unions, but also by the employers, who intended to prohibit strikes and other adverse actions by members of the labor

I agree on your views that American businessmen saw this national strike as a threat to their capitalist objective. The collective action of a national strike made businessmen aware of the possibility they may have to comply to workers' demands. The railroads were some of the worst culprits of the many inequalities seen during this time period, so it's no surprise that one of them was met with a national strike. Overall, I really like your response and how railroads felt the threat of a tyranny of the

The Great Railroad Strike, also known as the Great Upheaval, commenced on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Due to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads lowering wages for the third time in a year, the workers began to revolt. The strike lasted 45 days before it was put down by local and state militias and federal troops. The strike in West Virginia set off a chain reaction resulting in workers in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, and Missouri going on strikes. The strike disrupted work everywhere, as 100,000 workers across the country supported it. Workers burned down factories and destroyed railroads, engines, and cars. In response to the chaotic strike, the railroads organized private militias, as did the city and state governments,

In the article This day in Labor history: June 26, 1894 by Erik Loomis talks about the American railway union that Eugene Debs led, which was known as a nationwide boycott in solidarity with their member from Pullman, Illinois The actions led a minor strike turn into one of the major labor actions within the nation, this finished when President Grover called the united states military as a private army for the railroads which ended the strike

The Pullman Strike was an effect to the Pullman Palace Car Company hit a depression and cut workers’ wages 25-40 percent while keeping the rent and housing prices the same. Many of the workers joined the American Railroad Union. Debs, socialists that followed Karl Marx’s classless society, backed up the workers which resulted in them being jailed. The strike is an example of a secondary labor boycott. The workers cut off the town from food and goods. President Cleveland ordered troops to break up the strike. The federal courts issued an injunction

The Pullman Palace Car Company manufactured railroad cards. The workers were not part of a union and lived in the town of Pullman where the company controlled the rent, utilities, and politics. Due to a poor economy, the Pullman Palace Car Company laid off many employees and cut wages for those remaining by 25% and didn’t lower the costs in the town of Pullman. The ARU came on board and made numerous attempts to negotiate with the company and none were successful. I agree with the workers striking considering they were in a lose-lose situation with their employer controlling their entire life – not only their employment but their living conditions. The company had no reason to want to deal with them because they controlled everything.

during your absence, you may not have a job to return to. Management may be

The workers on strike attacked the mine guard’s camp later that week in retaliation. (Barkey)

My project is dedicated to minorities and the injustice that they go through. I want to bring awareness to the citizens that protest to show that their voice matter to create change in a country. Given the problem that many people think protests doesn’t change anything and are just a nuisance, the poem and an interview I want to create for my project will impact the views people have towards minorities and the protests they create when they do not like something the government is doing. This project of mine includes two parts that are an interview and a poem. These genres can be seen as inadequate, but they are required to demonstrate how my project will bring awareness and motivate others to speak their voices and not let it be silenced. Protests are important to minorities such as immigrants, LGBT communities, and others because it helps them maintain the rights they work so hard to obtain. My project main audience is towards government officials and people who do not support protesting.