State Violence Incites Rioting

On July 20th, 1877, striking railroad workers in Pittsburgh stopped trains from leaving the freight yard in the Strip District. Railroad officials called on the sheriff to clear the tracks and regain control of their lines, but many local police and militia had already joined friends and neighbors in supporting the strike. Knowing local militiamen would not use force against their own community, the sheriff requested help from the Philadelphia militia. Recently returned from service in the Reconstruction South, the Philadelphia troops were tired, hungry, and missing their families when they were sent to Pittsburgh to defend the interests of businessmen losing money as trains stood idle. As the crowd hurled insults and stones, the Philadelphia militia opened fire. The massacre touched off a full-scale riot that left dozens dead and countless wounded. The Great Strike of 1877 is regarded as the first use of federal troops to defend a corporation's right to run a profitable business, setting a precedent for state violence against labor movements and for legislation favoring corporate rights over the safety and well being of working families.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · United States