Today in Labor History—June 17

June 17, 1838 – On or about today the first Cherokee Indians began the Trail of Tears forced march to Oklahoma. 4000 Cherokees died as a result of President Jackson's Indian Removal bill, 10% of the tribe. (From the Daily Bleed)

Sioux charge during the Battle of Rosebud (image from the Library of Congress)

 June 17, 1876 – An encampment of Lakota and Cheyenne in Rosebud, South Dakota, led by Crazy Horse, was attacked by U.S. army soldiers, who were subsequently routed. (From the Daily Bleed)

Potemkin propaganda, 1925 (from x-ray delta one's flikr stream)

 June 17, 1905 – Five ships of the Black Sea fleet arrived from Sevastopol to quash the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin. One of the ships, the George the Conqueror, joined the Potemkin rebels, with both ships escaping to Romanian waters. (From the Daily Bleed)

Magonistas, Tijuana, June 22, 1911

 June 17, 1911 – Tijuana was recaptured from the Magonista anarchist rebels by Federal troops, now lead by Madero. Among those surviving and escaping was the famous Wobbly songwriter Joe Hill. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1913 – The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) initiated a sit down strike at the Studebaker auto plant. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1936 – The Steel Workers Organizing Committee was founded in Pittsburgh, by Philip Murray, John L. Lewis and nine other labor organizers. The Steel Workers Organizing Committee evolved into the United Steelworkers of America. Within one year, more than 125,000 people had joined the union, rallying around the goal of raising wages to $5 per day. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Tank in Liepzig (Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 175-14676 / CC-BY-SA)

 June 17, 1953 – Workers revolted in East Berlin and Leipzig, sparking rebellions all over East Germany. Workers were striking for democracy and in opposition to Russian imperialism. The USSR responded with tanks. (From the Daily Bleed)

FOIA released CIA file on the overthrow of Arbenz

June 17, 1954 – The CIA supplied and directed Guatemalan forces in the overthrow constitutionally elected government of Jacabo Arbenz Guzman, after it nationalized United Fruit Co. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1980 – Mine workers struck in Montana today through November 21. (From the Daily Bleed)