Today in Labor History May 11

Today in Labor History May 11, 1878: Emil Heinrich Maximilian Hoedel, a 21-year-old anarchist, shot Emperor Wilhelm I of Prussia. He did it in order to publicize the plight of the workers. The authorities immediately captured him and beheaded him two months later. As he prepared to die, he shouted, “Vive la commune.”

The Mussel Slough Tragedy

Cartoon showing railroad tycoons Stanford and Huntington robbing the graves of homesteader victims. — _{“The Retribution Comet” – Editorial cartoon published in The Wasp, July 8, 1881, depicting a comet with a skull about to strike railroad tycoons Leland Stanford and Collis Potter Huntington, shown robbing the graves of the Mussel Slough victims. By George Frederick Keller – The Wasp (San Francisco, California) Vol. 7, 1881. Pub Dom}

Today in Writing History May 11, 1880: The Mussel Slough Tragedy occurred on this day in Hanford, California. It was a land dispute between squatters and the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), one of the nation’s most powerful corporations. Former California governor, Leland Stanford, was president of SP. The conflict began as a picnic of settlers and their supporters. However, when word spread that the railroad was actively evicting settlers, a group of twenty left the picnic to confront them. Seven died in the confrontation. A federal Grand Jury indicted seventeen people and five were found guilty of interfering with a federal marshal.

The newspapers seized on the event as an example of corporate greed and the excesses of capitalism. Several great historical novels were based on this incident. Frank Norris wrote The Octopus: A Story of California (1901), about the incident. W.C. Morrow’s 1882 novel Blood-Money was also about this tragedy. And May Merrill Miller wrote about it, as well, in her novel, First the Blade (1938).

1890s

May 11, 1891: There was a national building-trades strike on this date in 1891.

The Pullman Strike

Today in Labor History May 11, 1894: The Pullman Railroad Strike began in Chicago, Illinois, when 4,000 workers walked off the job. It began as a wildcat strike and quickly escalated into the largest industrial strike to date in the U.S. Nearly 260,000 railroad workers participated.

Cartoon accusing socialist Eugene Debs of being an anarchist. — _{Harper’s Weekly labeled Eugene Debs and the strike organizers as “The Vanguard of Anarchy”, July 21, 1894. Pub Dom}

Most of the workers lived in the company town of Pullman, just south of Chicago. When George Pullman slashed wages and jobs, he didn’t lower rents. Consequently, the workers called a strike. In addition to fighting for increased wages and union representation, they also wanted democracy in the autocratic company town.

In 1894, the workers of Pullman did not yet have a union. However, Eugene Debs, who created the American Railway Union (ARU) in 1893, came in to organize the men and they quickly signed up. He called a boycott which halted much of the rail transport west of the Mississippi. Worker sabotage caused $80 million in damages. The government sent in federal troops to suppress the strike. As a result, they killed at least 30 strikers. They also arrested Debs for conspiracy to block U.S. mail. Clarence Darrow defended him. However, he still got six months in prison.

Today in Labor History May 11, 1914, socialist IWW cofounder Daniel De Leon died. — _{By Photo plate from Daniel DeLeon. Pub Dom}

1910s

May 11, 1914: Daniel De Leon died on this date in New York City. He was a Marxist theorist, socialist labor party member and union organizer. De Leon was also a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1904.

Today in Writing History May 11, 1916: Spanish author, fascist and Nobel laureate, Camilo Jose Cela, was born. He was a staunch homophobe and a supporter of Franco, fascist leader of Spain. During the dictatorship, he worked as a censor for the fascist state and as an informer for the secret police.

The Henry Steinbrenner sank in Lake Erie, killing 17 crewmen. — _{1905. By Detroit Publishing Co. Pub Dom}

1950s

Today in Labor History May 11, 1953: The Henry Steinbrenner sank during a violent storm on Lake Erie. As a result, seventeen crewmen died. It was carrying nearly 7,000 tons of iron ore.

Birmingham Riot

Wreckage from one of the white racist bomb attacks in Birmingham, May 11, 1963. — _{Bomb wreckage near Gaston Motel. By Trikosko, Marion S., photographer. Pub Dom}

May 11, 1963: The Birmingham riot began when racists set off several bombs targeting the African-American leaders of the Birmingham Campaign. The Campaign was a mass protest for racial justice. In response to the bombings, African American protesters burned down businesses and fought police in downtown Birmingham. They were frustrated both by the cops’ complicity in racist attacks against them, and the ineffectiveness of nonviolent protest. Governor Wallace deployed the state militia against the protesters. Many believe this event proved pivotal in Kennedy’s decision to propose a major civil rights bill.

1960s

Today in Labor History May 11, 1968: Poor People’s Campaign caravans arrived in Washington, D.C., with Ralph Abernathy and the Southern Christian Leadership Corps being granted a permit for an encampment on the Mall.

May 11, 1968: The “Night of the Barricades” occurred in Paris, from May 10-11. It started when security forces blocked student protesters from crossing the river. As a result, they threw up barricades. The police attacked them at 2 am on May 10, savagely beating them and arresting hundreds. In response to the police violence, students and workers called for a General Strike on May 13.

May 11, 1968: 4,500 British Columbia lumber workers ended a 7-month strike on this date.

1980s

May 11, 1981: Reggae legend Bob Marley died from skin cancer. He was thirty-six.

Today in Labor History May 11, 1983: Workers called a General Strike in Chile in order to support textile workers who had been striking since 1982. The police attacked protestors with tear gas. Two people were killed in La Victoria; 600 were arrested.