What caused 1877 railroad strike?
Great Railroad Strike of 1877, series of violent rail strikes across the United States in 1877. The strikes were precipitated by wage cuts announced by the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad—its second cut in eight months. Railway work was already poorly paid and dangerous.
What did the railroad of 1877 do for workers?
It resulted from a wage cut for railroad workers, which was the third pay cut in one year. It started in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on July 14, 1877 and spread to other cities and states.
Who started the railroad strike of 1877?
The spark came when John W. Garrett, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, signed off on a 10 percent wage cut. It knocked a brakeman’s daily wage to $1.35 and was the second such cut in a year. It also came as Americans were still struggling after the Panic of 1873, one of the worst economic skids ever seen.
What was one outcome of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
What was the outcome of the great railroad strike of 1877? Railroad workers walked off the job in other states and seriously disrupted commerce in the East and Midwest. The strikes were ended within a few weeks, but not before major incidents of vandalism and violence.
What happened at the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 started on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in response to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) cutting wages of workers for the third time in a year. Striking workers would not allow any of the trains, mainly freight trains, to roll until this third wage cut was revoked.
What was a benefit of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 quizlet?
What was the effect of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877? Railroad workers walked off the job in other states and seriously disrupted commerce in the East and Midwest. The strikes were ended within a few weeks, but not before major incidents of vandalism and violence.
What is the significance of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the country’s first major rail strike and witnessed the first general strike in the nation’s history. The strikes and the violence it spawned briefly paralyzed the country’s commerce and led governors in ten states to mobilize 60,000 militia members to reopen rail traffic.
What was the outcome of the Great Railway strike of 1877?
For all of its fervor and support, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 ended by August 1, unsuccessful, its workers no better off at the end than when it began. Workers did not receive pay raises; legislation strengthened anti-union attitudes, and state militias were increased.
Why did the workers strike the railroad in 1877?
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 17, 1877, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Workers for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad went on strike, because the company had reduced workers’ wages twice over the previous year. The strikers refused to let the trains run until the most recent pay cut was returned to the employees.
What was a result of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
As a result of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, railroad companies lost millions of dollars because without the workers to maintain the tracks, operate the cars, etc. The trains could not function, which meant that people could not ride them.