Today in Labor History—April 27

April 27, 1521 – Philippine Natives ambushed and killed Ferdinand Magellan. (From the Daily Bleed)

Death of General Pike, Battle of York

April 27, 1813 – The U.S. burned down Toronto in an unsuccessful attempt to gain control of Lake Ontario during the battle of York. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 27, 1825 – The first strike for the 10-hour workday was started by carpenters in Boston. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Robert Owen, by John Cranch, 18

April 27, 1825 –Robert Owen set up his Utopian Socialist Colony at New Harmony, Indiana. (From the Daily Bleed)

SS Sultana on Fire, from Harpers Weekly

April 27, 1865 – 1,450 paroled Union POWs died when the steamer "Sultana" blew up in the worst shipping disaster in American history. The river steamer Sultana was overloaded. It was equipped with tubular boilers which were not well-suited for use in the muddy waters of the lower Mississippi. The boat blew up & sank near Memphis, Tennessee. Over 2,300 perished in all, many of them emaciated Union soldiers returning north after being released from a Confederate prison camp. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 27, 1904 – Congress extended the Chinese Exclusion Act indefinitely (first passed in 1882; again in 1902), making it unlawful for Chinese laborers to enter the U.S. and denying citizenship to those already here. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History: April 17

April 17, 617--53 Scottish monks were burned alive in their refectory by armed women seeking revenge for being cheated out of their pasture rights on the isle of Eigg (from the Daily Bleed). Wikipedia says that 150 Christians, including Saint Donnan (who had recently introduced Christianity to the area), were burnt alive by the pagan Pictish queen, but is vague about their motivation.

April 17, 1824--Slavery was abolished in Central America (from the Daily Bleed).

Benjamin Tucker

\April 17, 1854--American individualist anarchist and publisher of Liberty, Ben Tucker, was born on this date (from the Daily Bleed).

Richmond, VA Bread Riot

April 17, 1864 –Bread riots in Savannah, Georgia. (From the Daily Bleed) The Civil War had been going on for several years. Soldiers were deserting, particularly working class conscripts. Those that remained were hungry and eating/stealing whatever food could be found, creating food shortages for all but the most well off residents, precipitating food riots throughout the south, particularly by poor women. (From Not Even Past)

 

April 17, 1905-- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a New York maximum hours law for bakery workers was unconstitutional under the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment. Legislation limiting hours of employment was not passed until the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. (From Workday Minnesota)

April 17, 1912 –Miners struck at the Lena gold fields in eastern Siberia to protest terrible working & living conditions. Strike leaders were arrested and troops fired on a peaceful strikers’ march, killing over 200. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 17, 1968—One-third of the Duke University student body struck against racial discrimination in hiring (From the Daily Bleed)

April 17, 1996--Brazilian police attacked 2,000 landless peasants, killing 19 and wounding 69. Over 1,000 would be killed in similar protests throughout the 1990s. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History-April 2

April 2, 1863--Bread riots occurred in Richmond, Virginia, as a result of a drought the previous year,
combined with a blockade by the Union and overall civil war-related shortages. Food riots occurred throughout the South around this time, led primarily by women. During the Richmond riot, women broken into storehouses and shops, stealing food, clothing and jewelry before the militia was able to restore order. (Source: Wikipedia)

April 2, 1903--Mexican police fired on more than 10,000 protestors, killing 15 and wounding many more. People had been protesting the reelection of General Bernardo Reyes as governor of Nuevo Leon, who was aligned with Mexico's brutal dictator, Porfirio Diaz. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 2, 1908--Italian police shot and killed workers at a funeral for a comrade who was killed in an industrial accident.(From the Daily Bleed)

 April 2, 1919--A Canadian ban on the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) was lifted at WWI came to an end. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 21

Revolte des Canuts - Lyon 1831(public domain)

November 21, 1831 – Silk workers went on strike in Lyon, France. However, the entire city rose in insurrection when the National Guard killed several workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 21, 1863 – Workers across the country were striking and protesting against high prices during the Civil War. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 21, 1870 -- Alexander Berkman was born on this date in Vilna, Russia (Lithuania). One-time lover and life-long comrade of Emma Goldman, Berkman wrote Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist, after serving time for attempting to murder Henry Clay Frick, architect of the massacre of striking Homestead/Carnegie Steel workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 21, 1921 – The original Columbine Massacre occurred in Serine, Colorado, with six striking IWW miners slaughtered by state police and company thugs. The police and guards used machine guns against the unarmed miners. Dozens were injured. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 21, 1945 – 200,000 United Auto Workers went on strike against General Motors. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 17

Battle of Antietam, Library of Congress

September 17, 1862 – The Battle of Antietam in western Maryland was bloodiest single day in the American Civil War, resulting in over 23,000 killed, wounded, or missing in action. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1862 – The Allegheny Arsenal exploded, killing seventy-five workers, including 43 girls—the worst industrial accident associated with the Civil War.

September 17, 1871 – The International Workingman’s Association (IWA) held their conference in London, from September 17-23. It was the first Communist International. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1900 – 100,000 Pennsylvania anthracite coal miners went on strike. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1901 – Twenty-five anarchists and their families were terrorized and driven out of town by patriotic citizens in Guffey Hollow, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

September 17, 1934 – Southern employers met in Greenville, North Carolina, to plan a counter-offensive to bust the textile labor strikes along the Eastern seaboard. An army of 10,000 National Guardsmen and 15,000 armed deputies was subsequently mobilized in Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama and Mississippi. The show of force failed, however, as 421,000 struck the following day. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1989 – The year-long Pittston Coal strike began on this date, as 98 miners and a minister occupied the Pittston Coal Company's Moss 3 preparation plant in Carbo, Virginia. The strike began after Pittston terminated health benefits for retirees, widows and disabled miners. State troopers were called in to arrest strikers after violent conflicts occurred, yet the struggle barely made the news the U.S. The United Mineworkers (UMWA) ultimately won, and the Pittston strike became one of the few labor victories of the 1980s. (FromWorkday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—April 27

April 27, 1521 – Philippine Natives ambushed and killed Ferdinand Magellan. (From the Daily Bleed)

Death of General Pike, Battle of York

April 27, 1813 – The U.S. burned down Toronto in an unsuccessful attempt to gain control of Lake Ontario during the battle of York. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 27, 1825 – The first strike for the 10-hour workday was started by carpenters in Boston. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Robert Owen, by John Cranch, 18

April 27, 1825 –Robert Owen set up his Utopian Socialist Colony at New Harmony, Indiana. (From the Daily Bleed)

SS Sultana on Fire, from Harpers Weekly

April 27, 1865 – 1,450 paroled Union POWs died when the steamer "Sultana" blew up in the worst shipping disaster in American history. The river steamer Sultana was overloaded. It was equipped with tubular boilers which were not well-suited for use in the muddy waters of the lower Mississippi. The boat blew up & sank near Memphis, Tennessee. Over 2,300 perished in all, many of them emaciated Union soldiers returning north after being released from a Confederate prison camp. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 27, 1904 – Congress extended the Chinese Exclusion Act indefinitely (first passed in 1882; again in 1902), making it unlawful for Chinese laborers to enter the U.S. and denying citizenship to those already here. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History: April 17

Richmond, VA Bread Riot

April 17, 1864 –Bread riots in Savannah, Georgia. (From the Daily Bleed) The Civil War had been going on for several years. Soldiers were deserting, particularly working class conscripts. Those that remained were hungry and eating/stealing whatever food could be found, creating food shortages for all but the most well off residents, precipitating food riots throughout the south, particularly by poor women. (From Not Even Past)

April 17, 1912 –Miners struck at the Lena gold fields in eastern Siberia to protest terrible working & living conditions. Strike leaders were arrested and troops fired on a peaceful strikers’ march, killing over 200. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 17, 1968—One-third of the Duke University student body struck against racial discrimination in hiring (From the Daily Bleed)

April 17, 1968—Police clashed with 2,000 landless peasants in Brazil, killing 19 & wounding 69. 156 officers were eventually indicted for the killings, with only three facing trial & all acquitted. Throughout the 1990s, over 1,000 Brazilians were killed in similar land disputes. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 21

Revolte des Canuts - Lyon 1831(public domain)

November 21, 1831 – Silk workers went on strike in Lyon, France. However, the entire city rose in insurrection when the National Guard killed several workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 21, 1863 – Workers across the country were striking and protesting against high prices during the Civil War. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 21, 1870 -- Alexander Berkman was born on this date in Vilna, Russia (Lithuania). One-time lover and life-long comrade of Emma Goldman, Berkman wrote Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist, after serving time for attempting to murder Henry Clay Frick, architect of the massacre of striking Homestead/Carnegie Steel workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 21, 1921 – The original Columbine Massacre occurred in Serine, Colorado, with six striking IWW miners slaughtered by state police and company thugs. The police and guards used machine guns against the unarmed miners. Dozens were injured. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 21, 1945 – 200,000 United Auto Workers went on strike against General Motors. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 17

Battle of Antietam, Library of Congress

September 17, 1862 – The Battle of Antietam in western Maryland was bloodiest single day in the American Civil War, resulting in over 23,000 killed, wounded, or missing in action. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1862 – The Allegheny Arsenal exploded, killing seventy-five workers, including 43 girls—the worst industrial accident associated with the Civil War.

September 17, 1871 – The International Workingman’s Association (IWA) held their conference in London, from September 17-23. It was the first Communist International. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1900 – 100,000 Pennsylvania anthracite coal miners went on strike. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1901 – Twenty-five anarchists and their families were terrorized and driven out of town by patriotic citizens in Guffey Hollow, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

September 17, 1934 – Southern employers met in Greenville, North Carolina, to plan a counter-offensive to bust the textile labor strikes along the Eastern seaboard. An army of 10,000 National Guardsmen and 15,000 armed deputies was subsequently mobilized in Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama and Mississippi. The show of force failed, however, as 421,000 struck the following day. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1989 – The year-long Pittston Coal strike began on this date, as 98 miners and a minister occupied the Pittston Coal Company's Moss 3 preparation plant in Carbo, Virginia. The strike began after Pittston terminated health benefits for retirees, widows and disabled miners. State troopers were called in to arrest strikers after violent conflicts occurred, yet the struggle barely made the news the U.S. The United Mineworkers (UMWA) ultimately won, and the Pittston strike became one of the few labor victories of the 1980s. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—April 27

April 27, 1521 – Philippine Natives ambushed and killed Ferdinand Magellan. (From the Daily Bleed)

Death of General Pike, Battle of York

April 27, 1813 – The U.S. burned down Toronto in an unsuccessful attempt to gain control of Lake Ontario during the battle of York. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 27, 1825 – The first strike for the 10-hour workday was started by carpenters in Boston. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Robert Owen, by John Cranch, 18

April 27, 1825 –Robert Owen set up his Utopian Socialist Colony at New Harmony, Indiana. (From the Daily Bleed)

SS Sultana on Fire, from Harpers Weekly

April 27, 1865 – 1,450 paroled Union POWs died when the steamer "Sultana" blew up in the worst shipping disaster in American history. The river steamer Sultana was overloaded. It was equipped with tubular boilers which were not well-suited for use in the muddy waters of the lower Mississippi. The boat blew up & sank near Memphis, Tennessee. Over 2,300 perished in all, many of them emaciated Union soldiers returning north after being released from a Confederate prison camp. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 27, 1904 – Congress extended the Chinese Exclusion Act indefinitely (first passed in 1882; again in 1902), making it unlawful for Chinese laborers to enter the U.S. and denying citizenship to those already here. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History: April 17

Richmond, VA Bread Riot

April 17, 1864 –Bread riots in Savannah, Georgia. (From the Daily Bleed) The Civil War had been going on for several years. Soldiers were deserting, particularly working class conscripts. Those that remained were hungry and eating/stealing whatever food could be found, creating food shortages for all but the most well off residents, precipitating food riots throughout the south, particularly by poor women. (From Not Even Past)

April 17, 1912 –Miners struck at the Lena gold fields in eastern Siberia to protest terrible working & living conditions. Strike leaders were arrested and troops fired on a peaceful strikers’ march, killing over 200. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 17, 1968—One-third of the Duke University student body struck against racial discrimination in hiring (From the Daily Bleed)

April 17, 1968—Police clashed with 2,000 landless peasants in Brazil, killing 19 & wounding 69. 156 officers were eventually indicted for the killings, with only three facing trial & all acquitted. Throughout the 1990s, over 1,000 Brazilians were killed in similar land disputes. (From the Daily Bleed)