How much did railroad workers make in 1877?
The atmosphere among railroad workers was tense because of low wages ($1.75 a day for brakemen working twelve hours), scheming and profiteering by the railroad companies, and deaths and injuries among the workers – loss of hands, feet, fingers, the crushing of men between cars.
What happened in the railroad industry in 1877?
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 was the benefit 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 did the railroad strike of 1877 indicate?
The first national strike began July 16, 1877, with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland. It spread across the nation halting rail traffic and closing factories in reaction to widespread worker discontent over wage cuts and conditions during a national depression.
What did the railroad strike of 1877 do for workers apex?
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.
How big was the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
More than 100,000 workers participated in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, at the height of which more than half the freight on the country’s tracks had come to a halt.
How did the Workers Fight Back in 1877?
Hundreds of thousands of workers revolted against pay cuts in the fourth year of an economic depression. One out of four workers was unemployed. Pittsburgh was the scene of the greatest battle on July 21, 1877. Thousands of workers there fought the militia—now called the National Guard—and drove them out of town.
Who was the boss of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad?
After the Baltimore and Ohio railroad imposed another wage cut on July 16, 1877, railroaders blockaded the line in Martinsville, W.Va. Soon the strike extended to Baltimore. The railroad’s boss, John Garrett, had the state militia shoot down workers.
When did the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Strike?
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad cut wages for its workers by 10 per cent on Monday, July 16; it was the second such action in eight months. Confused and angry, the trainmen milled around the yard throughout the day.