Today in Labor History—April 26

Levellers Declaration (public domain)

April 26, 1649 – Robert Lockier was sentenced to be shot for leading a revolt by the New Model Army in England.  The first Digger's Manifesto, “The True Levellers' Standard Advanced,” was published:

"For by their labours, [the poor] have lifted up Tyrants & Tyranny; & by denying to labour for hire, they shall pull them down again. He that works for another, either for Wages, or to pay him Rent, works unrighteously, & still lifts up the Curse."  (From the Daily Bleed) 

Apr 26, 1862 – The Anti-Coolie Act of April 26th, 1862 was passed. It was titled "An Act to Protect Free White Labor.” The law was one of a series of xenophobic laws enacted specifically to block the immigration of Chinese to the U.S., particularly to California. (From San Francisco Chinatown.com)

April 26, 1873 – Captain Thomas Wright and Captain Evan Thomas were beaten by Captain Jacks' band of Modocs in the "Thomas-Wright Massacre." U.S. troops lost twenty men & and four officers. 16 were wounded, while one-third of their troops were lost to desertion. The Modocs suffered no deaths. (From the Daily Bleed)

Chinese Laborers Building Transcontinental Railroad in Snow

April 26, 1902 –The U.S. Congress continued its xenophobic and racist practices by passing the second Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for the next 10 years and denying citizenship to the Chinese already here. In 1904 the act was extended indefinitely. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1942 – The deadliest mining disaster ever occurred in Benxi, China, when an explosion killed between 1,549 and 1,572 miners at the Honkeiko mine. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1966 – Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales started the Chicano activist group Crusade for Justice in Denver, Colorado. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1968 – As many as one million high school and college students across U.S. protested the war in Viet Nam, with 2,000 boycotting classes at University of Washington. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1975 – 60,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., demanding jobs for all Americans. Angry people rushed the stage, which included mainstream politicians like Hubert Humphrey, causing the rally to be shut down prematurely. (From Workday Minnesota)

Mutation Attributed to Chernobyl (Image by Vincent de Groot, wikipedia)

April 26, 1986 – The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in Ukraine, U.S.S.R. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—December 19

December 19, 1907 – 239 workers died in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania. (From the Daily Bleed)

December 19, 1983 - The Greyhound bus strike ended when members of the Amalgamated Transit Union ratified a sell-out contract slashing wages and benefits. (From Workday Minnesota)

December 19, 1984 – 27 workers at Wilberg Mine died due to a speedup disaster in Orangeville, Utah. (From the Daily Bleed)

December 19, 2001 – The Argentine government declared a state of siege to stop the worst looting and rioting in a decade sparked by austerity measures and poverty. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 20

Zumbi dos Palmares bust, Brasilia (image by Elza Fiúza/Agencia Brasil, creative commons)

November 20, 1695 – Zumbí, head of the Quilombo de Palmares, was assassinated on this date. Palmares was the largest and longest lasting Quilombo (community of freed slaves) in Brazil. Estimates range from 11,000 to more than 20,000 inhabitants living in Palmares during its height. The community lasted for more than 100 years. Members of Palmares routinely raided plantations, freeing slaves and brutally slaughtering their masters. Palmares was portrayed in the 1984 film, Quilombo, directed by Carlos Diegues.

Capoiera, or the Dance of War, by Johann Moritz Rugendas (1835)

November 20, 1896 – Rose Pesotta, anarchist labor activist and the only woman on the General Executive Board of the International Ladies' Garment Workers (ILGWU), from 1933-1944, was born on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

Ricardo Flores Magon, portrait

 November 20, 1922 – Ricardo Flores Magón died on this date in Leavenworth, prison. Maginm with his brother Enrique, founded and edited the anarchist paper Regeneracion, founded the Partido Liberal de Mexico, organized with the IWW, and launched a short-lived revolution in Baja California, in which IWW members from the U.S. participated. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1936 -- Buenaventura Durutti, anarchist militant, was shot in the lung yesterday, and died this morning. Durutti's body was buried in Barcelona, in a ceremony attended by somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1946 – Bituminous coal workers went on strike directly against the US government, which had seized all the bituminous coal mines on May 21. The government secured an injunction against the strike, resulting in $3.5 million fine against the UMW. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1968 - The Consolidated Coal Company’s No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia, exploded, killing 78 miners. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—April 26

Levellers Declaration (public domain)

April 26, 1649 – Robert Lockier was sentenced to be shot for leading a revolt by the New Model Army in England.  The first Digger's Manifesto, “The True Levellers' Standard Advanced,” was published:

"For by their labours, [the poor] have lifted up Tyrants & Tyranny; & by denying to labour for hire, they shall pull them down again. He that works for another, either for Wages, or to pay him Rent, works unrighteously, & still lifts up the Curse."  (From the Daily Bleed) 

Apr 26, 1862 – The Anti-Coolie Act of April 26th, 1862 was passed. It was titled "An Act to Protect Free White Labor.” The law was one of a series of xenophobic laws enacted specifically to block the immigration of Chinese to the U.S., particularly to California. (From San Francisco Chinatown.com)

April 26, 1873 – Captain Thomas Wright and Captain Evan Thomas were beaten by Captain Jacks' band of Modocs in the "Thomas-Wright Massacre." U.S. troops lost twenty men & and four officers. 16 were wounded, while one-third of their troops were lost to desertion. The Modocs suffered no deaths. (From the Daily Bleed)

Chinese Laborers Building Transcontinental Railroad in Snow

April 26, 1902 –The U.S. Congress continued its xenophobic and racist practices by passing the second Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for the next 10 years and denying citizenship to the Chinese already here. In 1904 the act was extended indefinitely. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1942 – The deadliest mining disaster ever occurred in Benxi, China, when an explosion killed between 1,549 and 1,572 miners at the Honkeiko mine. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1966 – Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales started the Chicano activist group Crusade for Justice in Denver, Colorado. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1968 – As many as one million high school and college students across U.S. protested the war in Viet Nam, with 2,000 boycotting classes at University of Washington. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1975 – 60,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., demanding jobs for all Americans. Angry people rushed the stage, which included mainstream politicians like Hubert Humphrey, causing the rally to be shut down prematurely. (From Workday Minnesota)

Mutation Attributed to Chernobyl (Image by Vincent de Groot, wikipedia)

April 26, 1986 – The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in Ukraine, U.S.S.R. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—December 19

December 19, 1907 – 239 workers died in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania. (From the Daily Bleed)

December 19, 1983 - The Greyhound bus strike ended when members of the Amalgamated Transit Union ratified a sell-out contract slashing wages and benefits. (From Workday Minnesota)

December 19, 1984 – 27 workers at Wilberg Mine died due to a speedup disaster in Orangeville, Utah. (From the Daily Bleed)

December 19, 2001 – The Argentine government declared a state of siege to stop the worst looting and rioting in a decade sparked by austerity measures and poverty. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 20

Zumbi dos Palmares bust, Brasilia (image by Elza Fiúza/Agencia Brasil, creative commons)

November 20, 1695 – Zumbí, head of the Quilombo de Palmares, was assassinated on this date. Palmares was the largest and longest lasting Quilombo (community of freed slaves) in Brazil. Estimates range from 11,000 to more than 20,000 inhabitants living in Palmares during its height. The community lasted for more than 100 years. Members of Palmares routinely raided plantations, freeing slaves and brutally slaughtering their masters. Palmares was portrayed in the 1984 film, Quilombo, directed by Carlos Diegues.

Capoiera, or the Dance of War, by Johann Moritz Rugendas (1835)

November 20, 1896 – Rose Pesotta, anarchist labor activist and the only woman on the General Executive Board of the International Ladies' Garment Workers (ILGWU), from 1933-1944, was born on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

Ricardo Flores Magon, portrait

 November 20, 1922 – Ricardo Flores Magón died on this date in Leavenworth, prison. Maginm with his brother Enrique, founded and edited the anarchist paper Regeneracion, founded the Partido Liberal de Mexico, organized with the IWW, and launched a short-lived revolution in Baja California, in which IWW members from the U.S. participated. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1936 -- Buenaventura Durutti, anarchist militant, was shot in the lung yesterday, and died this morning. Durutti's body was buried in Barcelona, in a ceremony attended by somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1946 – Bituminous coal workers went on strike directly against the US government, which had seized all the bituminous coal mines on May 21. The government secured an injunction against the strike, resulting in $3.5 million fine against the UMW. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1968 - The Consolidated Coal Company’s No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia, exploded, killing 78 miners. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—April 26

Levellers Declaration (public domain)

April 26, 1649 – Robert Lockier was sentenced to be shot for leading a revolt by the New Model Army in England.  The first Digger's Manifesto, “The True Levellers' Standard Advanced,” was published:

"For by their labours, [the poor] have lifted up Tyrants & Tyranny; & by denying to labour for hire, they shall pull them down again. He that works for another, either for Wages, or to pay him Rent, works unrighteously, & still lifts up the Curse."  (From the Daily Bleed) 

Apr 26, 1862 – The Anti-Coolie Act of April 26th, 1862 was passed. It was titled "An Act to Protect Free White Labor.” The law was one of a series of xenophobic laws enacted specifically to block the immigration of Chinese to the U.S., particularly to California. (From San Francisco Chinatown.com)

April 26, 1873 – Captain Thomas Wright and Captain Evan Thomas were beaten by Captain Jacks' band of Modocs in the "Thomas-Wright Massacre." U.S. troops lost twenty men & and four officers. 16 were wounded, while one-third of their troops were lost to desertion. The Modocs suffered no deaths. (From the Daily Bleed)

Chinese Laborers Building Transcontinental Railroad in Snow

April 26, 1902 –The U.S. Congress continued its xenophobic and racist practices by passing the second Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for the next 10 years and denying citizenship to the Chinese already here. In 1904 the act was extended indefinitely. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1942 – The deadliest mining disaster ever occurred in Benxi, China, when an explosion killed between 1,549 and 1,572 miners at the Honkeiko mine. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1966 – Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales started the Chicano activist group Crusade for Justice in Denver, Colorado. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1968 – As many as one million high school and college students across U.S. protested the war in Viet Nam, with 2,000 boycotting classes at University of Washington. (From the Daily Bleed)

April 26, 1975 – 60,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., demanding jobs for all Americans. Angry people rushed the stage, which included mainstream politicians like Hubert Humphrey, causing the rally to be shut down prematurely. (From Workday Minnesota)

Mutation Attributed to Chernobyl (Image by Vincent de Groot, wikipedia)

April 26, 1986 – The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in Ukraine, U.S.S.R. (From the Daily Bleed)