Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Quick Facts: Who was Great Railroad Strike of 1877?

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Great Railroad Strike of 1877

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Widespread US rail-worker strike beginning in 1877 due to wage cuts and economic hardship.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year. It was the first strike that spread across multiple states in the U.S. The strike ended 52 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the National Guard, and federal troops. Because of economic problems and pressure on wages by the railroads, workers in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois and Missouri, also went on strike. An estimated 126 to 160 people were killed in the unrest across the country. In Martinsburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and other cities, workers burned down and destroyed both physical facilities and the rolling stock of the railroads—engines and railroad cars.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Some locals feared that workers were rising in revolution, similar to the Paris Commune of 1871, while others joined their efforts against the railroads. At the time, the workers were not represented by trade unions. Disruption was widespread, and at its height the strikes were supported by about 100,000 workers. Labor continued to work to organize into unions to work for better wages and conditions. Fearing future social disruption, many cities built armories to support local National Guard units; these defensive buildings still stand as symbols of the effort to suppress the labor unrest of this period.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

With public attention on workers' wages and conditions, the B&O in 1880 founded an Employee Relief Association to provide death benefits and some health care. In 1884, it established a worker pension plan. Other improvements were implemented later. The Long Depression, which began in the United States with the financial Panic of 1873 and lasted 65 months, was the longest economic contraction in American history, including the later more famous, 45-month-long Great Depression of the 1930s. The failure of the Jay Cooke bank in New York was followed quickly by that of Henry Clews, and this set off a chain reaction of bank failures, which temporarily closed the New York stock market.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1871: 1871 Milestone — Some locals feared that workers were rising in revolution, similar to the Paris Commune of 1871, while others joined their efforts against the railroads.
2. 1873: 1873 Milestone — The Long Depression, which began in the United States with the financial Panic of 1873 and lasted 65 months, was the longest economic contraction in American history, including the later more famous, 45-month-long Great Depression of the 1930s.
3. 1877: 1877 Milestone — The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year.
4. 1880: 1880 Milestone — With public attention on workers' wages and conditions, the B&O in 1880 founded an Employee Relief Association to provide death benefits and some health care.
5. 1884: 1884 Milestone — In 1884, it established a worker pension plan.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Great Railroad Strike of 1877

True or False: “The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first labor dispute in US history to involve multiple states simultaneously.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While it was a major multi-state event, it was not the very first strike; however, it was the first strike documented to spread across multiple states.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adolphe Thiers — Historical peer (Died in 1877) (1877): Influential French statesman, historian, and President of the Third Republic.
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• Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani — Historical peer (Born in 1880) (1880): Bangladeshi statesman and founder of the Awami League, known for advocating for the poor.
• Alexander Belyaev — Historical peer (Born in 1884) (1884): Pioneering Soviet science fiction writer, known as 'Russia's Jules Verne'
• Alexander Bustamante — Historical peer (Born in 1884) (1884): Pioneering Jamaican politician, labor leader, and first Prime Minister of independent Jamaica.

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