Today in Labor History—March 2

Whipping an Enslaved Male, Serro Frio, Brazil, ca. 1770s

March 2, 1807 - Congress abolished the African slave trade. The first American slave ship, Desire, sailed from Marblehead, Massachussetts, in 1637. Since then, nearly 15 million blacks had been transported as slaves to the Americas. Overall, the African continent had lost 50 million people to slavery and the deaths associated with it. Another 250,000 slaves were continued to be imported illegally up to the Civil War. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

March 2, 1937 - John L. Lewis, president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and U.S. Steel President Myron Taylor signed an agreement recognizing the Steel Workers Organizing Committee as the sole representative for its workforce. The contract also included a 40-hour work week and pay for overtime. (From Workday Minnesota)

Judi Bari Portrait from the Lucha Continua mural, 3260 23rd St., Mission District, San Francisco (Image by Gary Soup)

March 2, 1997 – Earth First! activist and IWW organizer Judi Bari (b.1949) died on this date from cancer. Bari and her comrade Darryl Cherney survived a terrorist bomb in Oakland, CA, in 1990. The police and FBI immediately blamed her for the bombing, claiming that she was the terrorist and that the bomb was intended for the logging companies. She was arrested and handcuffed to her hospital bed. Bari and Cherney were eventually exonerated and won a hefty settlement for the FBI’s role in violating their civil liberties. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 13, 2012

Boston Latin School, c1635

February 13, 1635 - Boston Latin School was opened, the first public school in the United States. (From Workday Minnesota)

February 13, 1837 – A flour Riot occurred in New York City. 6,000 New Yorkers attending a "bread, meat, rent, and fuel" meeting in Chatham Square assaulted local flour merchants who they claimed were hoarding flour in order to drive up the price. (From the Daily Bleed)

Jesse James, c1882

February 13, 1866 – Jesse James held up his first bank, Liberty, Missouri. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 13, 1882 – Knights of Labor founder Uriah Stephens (b.1821) died on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 13, 1917 – Strikes and meetings in Petrograd factories launched the Russian Revolution. (From the Daily Bleed)

Dresden After the Bombing (Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), Bild 146-1994-041-07)

 February 13, 1945 – Over 130,000 civilians were killed in the Allied firebombing of Dresden. In a three-day period, 3,400 tons of explosives and incendiaries were dropped, reducing six square miles of the city to rubble. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 13, 1967 – The National Student Association revealed that it had "secretly and indirectly" received more than $3 million from the CIA over a 15-year period. NSA President Eugene Grove denied any of the money was used for intelligence work. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 12, 2012

Darwin Caricature, 1871

February 12, 1809 – Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was born on this date in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The Origin of Species, published November 24, 1859, sold out immediately. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1853 – Illinois passed a law requiring any blacks entering the state & staying more than 10 days to pay a $50 fine. If unable to pay, they would be sold into slavery for a period commensurate with the fine. (From the Daily Bleed)

John Lewis, 1922

 February 12, 1880 - John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers and founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), was born was born on this date. In 1935, he pulled the UAW from the American Federation of Labor (and punched out Carpenters Union President William Hutcheson in the process) when the AFL refused to endorse industrial unionism. Lewis then formed the CIO, which organized millions of unskilled, mass production workers into unions in the 1930s and 1940s. (From Workday Minnesota)

DuBois in 1918

 February 12, 1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded on this date by W.E.B. DuBois & others, New York City. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1913 – Mary Harris "Mother" Jones led a protest against conditions in the West Virginia mines was arrested. (On May 8, newly-elected Governor Hatfield releases her from jail.)

A government official once called Mary Jones "The most dangerous woman in America." She was still out there at age 83. No rockin' chair for her... (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1913 – A New York commission reported widespread violations of child labor laws. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1946 – Picketers demanded amnesty for jailed war resisters at Danbury Federal Penitentiary, Connecticut. (From the Daily Bleed)


February 12, 1947 – 60 anti-draft demonstrators burned their draft cards in New York City during an antiwar demonstration. Between 400 and 500 veterans and conscientious objectors from World Wars I and II burned their draft cards in two demonstrations, in front of the White House in Washington and at the Labor Temple in New York City, in protest of a proposed universal conscription law. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—March 2

Whipping an Enslaved Male, Serro Frio, Brazil, ca. 1770s

March 2, 1807 - Congress abolished the African slave trade. The first American slave ship, Desire, sailed from Marblehead, Massachussetts, in 1637. Since then, nearly 15 million blacks had been transported as slaves to the Americas. Overall, the African continent had lost 50 million people to slavery and the deaths associated with it. Another 250,000 slaves were continued to be imported illegally up to the Civil War. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

March 2, 1937 - John L. Lewis, president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and U.S. Steel President Myron Taylor signed an agreement recognizing the Steel Workers Organizing Committee as the sole representative for its workforce. The contract also included a 40-hour work week and pay for overtime. (From Workday Minnesota)

Judi Bari Portrait from the Lucha Continua mural, 3260 23rd St., Mission District, San Francisco (Image by Gary Soup)

March 2, 1997 – Earth First! activist and IWW organizer Judi Bari (b.1949) died on this date from cancer. Bari and her comrade Darryl Cherney survived a terrorist bomb in Oakland, CA, in 1990. The police and FBI immediately blamed her for the bombing, claiming that she was the terrorist and that the bomb was intended for the logging companies. She was arrested and handcuffed to her hospital bed. Bari and Cherney were eventually exonerated and won a hefty settlement for the FBI’s role in violating their civil liberties. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 13, 2012

Boston Latin School, c1635

February 13, 1635 - Boston Latin School was opened, the first public school in the United States. (From Workday Minnesota)

February 13, 1837 – A flour Riot occurred in New York City. 6,000 New Yorkers attending a "bread, meat, rent, and fuel" meeting in Chatham Square assaulted local flour merchants who they claimed were hoarding flour in order to drive up the price. (From the Daily Bleed)

Jesse James, c1882

February 13, 1866 – Jesse James held up his first bank, Liberty, Missouri. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 13, 1882 – Knights of Labor founder Uriah Stephens (b.1821) died on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 13, 1917 – Strikes and meetings in Petrograd factories launched the Russian Revolution. (From the Daily Bleed)

Dresden After the Bombing (Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), Bild 146-1994-041-07)

 February 13, 1945 – Over 130,000 civilians were killed in the Allied firebombing of Dresden. In a three-day period, 3,400 tons of explosives and incendiaries were dropped, reducing six square miles of the city to rubble. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 13, 1967 – The National Student Association revealed that it had "secretly and indirectly" received more than $3 million from the CIA over a 15-year period. NSA President Eugene Grove denied any of the money was used for intelligence work. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 12, 2012

Darwin Caricature, 1871

February 12, 1809 – Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was born on this date in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The Origin of Species, published November 24, 1859, sold out immediately. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1853 – Illinois passed a law requiring any blacks entering the state & staying more than 10 days to pay a $50 fine. If unable to pay, they would be sold into slavery for a period commensurate with the fine. (From the Daily Bleed)

John Lewis, 1922

 February 12, 1880 - John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers and founder of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), was born was born on this date. In 1935, he pulled the UAW from the American Federation of Labor (and punched out Carpenters Union President William Hutcheson in the process) when the AFL refused to endorse industrial unionism. Lewis then formed the CIO, which organized millions of unskilled, mass production workers into unions in the 1930s and 1940s. (From Workday Minnesota)

DuBois in 1918

 February 12, 1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded on this date by W.E.B. DuBois & others, New York City. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1913 – Mary Harris "Mother" Jones led a protest against conditions in the West Virginia mines was arrested. (On May 8, newly-elected Governor Hatfield releases her from jail.)

A government official once called Mary Jones "The most dangerous woman in America." She was still out there at age 83. No rockin' chair for her... (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1913 – A New York commission reported widespread violations of child labor laws. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 12, 1946 – Picketers demanded amnesty for jailed war resisters at Danbury Federal Penitentiary, Connecticut. (From the Daily Bleed)


February 12, 1947 – 60 anti-draft demonstrators burned their draft cards in New York City during an antiwar demonstration. Between 400 and 500 veterans and conscientious objectors from World Wars I and II burned their draft cards in two demonstrations, in front of the White House in Washington and at the Labor Temple in New York City, in protest of a proposed universal conscription law. (From the Daily Bleed)