Origins & Early Life

George Mortimer Pullman (March 3, 1831 – October 19, 1897) was an American engineer and industrialist. He designed and manufactured the Pullman sleeping car and founded a company town in Chicago for the workers who manufactured it. This ultimately led to the Pullman Strike due to the high rent prices charged for company housing and low wages paid by the Pullman Company. His Pullman Company also hired black men to staff the Pullman cars, known as Pullman porters, who provided elite service and were compensated only in tips.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Struggling to maintain profitability during an 1894 downturn in manufacturing demand, he halved wages and required workers to spend long hours at the plant, but did not lower prices of rents and goods in his company town. He gained presidential support by Grover Cleveland for the use of federal military troops which left 30 strikers dead in the violent suppression of workers there to end the Pullman Strike of 1894. A national commission was appointed to investigate the strike, which included assessment of operations of the company town. In 1898, the Supreme Court of Illinois ordered the Pullman Company to divest itself of the town, which became a neighborhood of the...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Ebenezer Cobb Morley — Contemporary (Born in 1831) (1831): Pioneering English sportsman and key founder of the Football Association (FA)
• Alphonse Daudet — Contemporary (Died in 1897) (1897): French novelist and short story writer, known for works reflecting life's hardships.
• Amelia Earhart — Contemporary (Born in 1897) (1897): Iconic American aviator whose pioneering flights shaped early 20th-century aviation.
• Andrés Bonifacio — Contemporary (Died in 1897) (1897): Father of the Philippine Revolution, founder of the Katipunan.
• Alexander Graham Bell — Shared historical date (03-03 · Born) (1847): Pioneering inventor credited with patenting the first practical telephone.
• Aurangzeb — Shared historical date (03-03 · Died) (1707): Sixth Mughal Emperor who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.
• Angus Deaton — Shared historical date (10-19 · Born) (1945): Influential economist specializing in poverty, inequality, and consumption analysis.
• Benjamin Banneker — Shared historical date (10-19 · Died) (1806): Self-taught polymath, surveyor, and advocate for racial equality in early America.
• 1831 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1831
• March 3 (03-03) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 3
• 1897 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1897
• October 19 (10-19) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 19