Haymarket affair

Quick Facts: Who was Haymarket affair?

Subject:

Haymarket affair

Known for:

A pivotal 1886 bombing at a labor rally that shaped modern labor movements.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Haymarket affair was a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago. The rally began peacefully in support of workers striking for an eight-hour work day; it was held the day after a May 3 rally at a McCormick Harvesting Machine Company plant on the West Side of Chicago, during which police killed two strikers by opening fire at the crowd as it surged to the gate to confront strikebreakers. Many others were injured. At the Haymarket Square rally on May 4, an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at the police as they acted to disperse the meeting, and the bomb blast and ensuing retaliatory gunfire by the police caused the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians; dozens of others were wounded. Eight anarchists were charged with the bombing.

Career & Major Achievements

They were convicted of conspiracy in the internationally publicized legal proceedings. The evidence put forward in the court trial was that one of the defendants may have built the bomb but none of those on trial had thrown it, and only two of the eight were at the Haymarket at the time. Seven were sentenced to death and one to a term of 15 years in prison. Illinois governor Richard J. Oglesby commuted two of the sentences to terms of life in prison; another died by suicide in jail before his scheduled execution. The other four were hanged on November 11, 1887.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1893, Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld pardoned the remaining defendants and criticized the trial. The site of the incident was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1992, and a sculpture was dedicated there in 2004. The Haymarket Martyrs' Monument was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997 at the defendants' burial site in Forest Park, Illinois. The Haymarket affair is generally considered significant as the origin of International Workers' Day held on May 1. It was also the climax of the period of social unrest among the working class in America known as the Great Upheaval and Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1877: 1877 Milestone — It was also the climax of the period of social unrest among the working class in America known as the Great Upheaval and Great Railroad Strike of 1877.
2. 1886: 1886 Milestone — The Haymarket affair was a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago.
3. 1887: 1887 Milestone — The other four were hanged on November 11, 1887.
4. 1893: 1893 Milestone — In 1893, Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld pardoned the remaining defendants and criticized the trial.
5. 1992: 1992 Milestone — The site of the incident was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1992, and a sculpture was dedicated there in 2004.
6. 1997: 1997 Milestone — The Haymarket Martyrs' Monument was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997 at the defendants' burial site in Forest Park, Illinois.

Notable Quotes by Haymarket affair

“I was very indignant. I knew from experience of the past that this butchering of people was done for the express purpose of defeating the eight-hour movement.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Haymarket affair

True or False: “The Haymarket affair directly led to the establishment of May 1st as International Workers' Day.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The incident is generally considered significant as the origin of International Workers' Day, which was subsequently established on May 1st.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Alexander Cunningham — Historical peer (Died in 1893) (1893): Pioneering British archaeologist and founder of the Archaeological Survey of India.
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• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Died in 2004) (2004): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Ahn Ji-ho (actor) — Historical peer (Born in 2004) (2004): South Korean actor known for starting his career in web series.

Frequently Asked Questions about Haymarket affair