Wikimedia Commons The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began in West Virginia and Maryland and quickly spread across the country.
By 1877, American railroad workers had long suffered from low wages and harsh working conditions. The announcement of new pay cuts for Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad employees in July of that year sparked a massive strike that spanned several states.
At its peak, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 united more than 100,000 workers in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, and Illinois. The first interstate strike in U.S. history, it was not organized by large national unions but was spontaneously started by workers themselves.
The railway companies and authorities moved quickly to suppress the unrest, sending in police and military forces to stop the workers' revolt. By August, the strike had all but collapsed, leaving behind 1,000 arrests and 100 deaths.
Although the 1877 protest helped to advance the union movement, the railroad workers did not gain immediate concessions. Nevertheless, the scale of the events gave rise to rumors of a possible “second American revolution.”
How the Economic Crisis Led to the Great Railroad Strike
Wikimedia CommonsThe financial crash of 1873 swept across North America and Europe, triggering the longest economic downturn in U.S. history.
The economic collapse known as the Panic of 1873 began a protracted crisis that lasted 65 months, longer than the Great Depression.
By 1876, unemployment had reached 14% and workers' incomes had fallen dramatically. Businesses were closing en masse and railroad construction had fallen from 7,500 miles in 1872 to 1,600 miles by 1875.
In the crisis, railroad companies looked for ways to cut costs. Solving the problem at the expense of employees, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad management cut wages in half starting in 1874. An additional 10 percent cut in July 1877 was the last straw.
The company president explained the measures by the “serious effect of the consequences of the panic of 1873 on revenues” and the need to satisfy the interests of investors. However, the workers refused to accept further hardships.
It was this decision that sparked the preparations for a strike in Maryland and West Virginia, which soon grew into a nationwide movement.
First Interstate Labor Revolt
Wikimedia Commons Troops open fire on protesters in Baltimore, killing 11.
The first strikes broke out in mid-July 1877 in Baltimore and Martinsburg. The workers were joined by local residents, overcoming racial and social differences: whites, blacks, and immigrants took part in the protests, and women and children supported the demonstrators.
In Martinsburg, strikers blocked locomotives at the depot, demanding that the cuts be reversed. West Virginia Governor Henry M. Matthews sent in the militia, but they failed. After asking for help, President Rutherford B. Hayes sent in federal troops. One protester was killed in the clashes.
In Baltimore, a strike paralyzed train service. On July 20, the governor of Maryland called in the National Guard. In response, strikers threw rocks at the soldiers, leading to shootings into the crowd and the deaths of 11 people. Protesters responded by setting trains and buildings on fire.
Wikimedia CommonsProtesters set fire to the Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Pittsburgh during the 1877 events.
The strikers distributed threatening manifestos: “If demands are not met, we will destroy the tracks, bridges and property of the company.” The unrest spread to Pennsylvania, where the National Guard opened fire in Pittsburgh, killing 20 people, including three children. Protesters burned $4 million in railroad property.
The strike spread to New York, Missouri, Illinois and even San Francisco, where riots were accompanied by racist attacks on Chinese people.
Results and Legacy of the Great Strike
Library of Congress Scene from the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 in Pittsburgh.
The strike died down after federal troops entered the city. Hayes, understanding the discontent, condemned the violence and called on citizens to “go home” in an address on July 18, 1877.
Despite the participation of 100,000 people and the paralysis of the railways, the workers did not achieve higher wages or better conditions. By August, the protests had died down, leaving behind destruction, arrests and casualties.
Wikimedia CommonsAlthough the events of 1877 are largely forgotten, they influenced the country's lawmaking and infrastructure.
One consequence was the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which limited the use of the army against citizens. National Guard arsenals sprang up across the country, many of which now serve as museums—mute witnesses to the first interstate strike and the failed “revolution.”
By the 1880s, B&O had introduced a system of employee benefits and unions had gained influence. But the events of 1877 remain a reminder of the struggle of the working class.
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