The Haymarket Bombing and the history that surrounded it

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The Haymarket Bombingand the history that
surrounded it

• Presentation done by
• Claire and Heidi
• March 3rd, 2004

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Setting the Stage
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American life (1800s-Early 1900s)

• Focus shifted from the Civil War/Reconstruction
  to Industrial Capitalism. The next forty years
  would showcase the battle of working men and
  women against industrial capitalism. The
  following events would stem from such a change
• U.S. became the worlds most powerful industrial
  nation.
• U.S. would launch war against Spain resulting in
  control over Puerto Rico, Philippines, Cuba and
  Hawaii.
• Diversity builds with the incoming if millions
  of immigrants from Asia, Europe and Latin
  America.
• Transportation, sanitation and product
  availability changes drastically.

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The Great Divide

• On One Side
• Industrial Capitalists and political supporters
  that believed in the survival of the fittest.

• On the Other
• Working men and women who believed in the unity
  of a nation.
• MIDDLE
• Small business owners and machine politicians who
  did not believe in either side, yet, were forced
  to chose.

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The Labor MovementThe outcome of Industrial
Capitalism

• Low wages, long hours and at times life
  threatening conditions
• Radical Ideas were formed to help fight
  outrageous work conditions. Groups such as
• Populists, feminists, anarchists and socialists.
• The Nights of Labor (became very popular once it
  became public)
• From the Nights of Labor
• The acceptance of African Americans, Irish
  immigrants and eventually women. Chinese were
  never accepted.

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Eight Hour Movement (1886)After a long fight for
an eight hour work day, men and women across the
nation came together for a united strike that
would be launched on May 1st, 1886. By the end of
1886, 400,000 working men and women had taken
part in 1,500 strikes.

• Most workers won shorter work days and 42,000
  strikers were granted an eight hour work day.
• Unskilled workers were able to mobilize and
  become a part of the labor movement.
• Knights of Labor, even though known to not
  participate, did.

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• Radical Power
• FACT
• Socialists and anarchists had united for the
  common cause of the eight hour work day.
• Also a fact
• These two groups DID NOT agree on government
  issues. The Anarchist believed that organizing
  government would oppress people.
• Keeping this in mind

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Back in Chicagothe eight hour movement was led
by radicals

• The most outstanding radical was a man by the
  name of Albert Parsons.
• Son of a family who had become a radical
  republican who fought for African American
  rights. More specifically, the right to vote.
• Wife, Lucy, was already at the age of 26 a labor
  activist and anti-racist.
• Both moved to Chicago after their interracial
  marriage was banned.
• By 1855, the Parsons were the most famous radical
  group in Chicago, which, then made them a target
  of attacks in mainstream media.

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Albert and Lucy Parsons
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The March goes on!On the last day of the two
year campaign, Albert Parson led 40,000
Chicagoans in a march for the eight hour work day

• May 1st came and went without a response to
  change the work day
• May 3rd came and after the strikebreakers first
  shift ended they exited the factory. They were
  then confronted by the strikers whose jobs they
  had taken.
• Guards and Chicago policemen attacked the
  fighting workers with clubs and pistols.
• Two unarmed workers were killed. Many more were
  injured.

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August Spies

• Editor of a pro-labor German newspaper,
  ARBEITER-ZEITUNG.
• This was printed and circulated with more than 12
  hundred copies that read Revengeworking men to
  arms!
• Due to the last minute planning and poor weather
  conditions only 1,500 workers showed up for the
  protest after the contribution of the papers.
• Major Carter Henry Harrison permitted the Rally,
  briefly attended then left seeing it was a
  peaceful gathering. He even stopped by the police
  quarters and told them to not intervene.

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As the 300 out of the 1,500 workers remained at
the rallyall of a sudden, under the command of
Captain Bonfield, a force of Chicago police
officers, 176 strong, stormed in, interrupted the
speaker and asked everyone to go home
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During the intervention, someone, who would
forever remain anonymous threw a bomb into the
concentration of officers.Police fired into the
crowdSeven policemen died60 others were
injured.
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Aftermath

• Due to the anti-radical and anti-immigrant
  leaders being against the rally, justice was
  sought after for the death of the police
  officers.
• A trial was held for the murder of the
  officersParsons, Spies and five other
  anarchists leaders were arrested and charged
  with conspiracy to commit murder.

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The VerdictUnder Judge Joseph Gary (anti-labor)

• Seven of the defendants were sentenced to
  hanging. Another defendant, Oscar Neebe was
  sentenced to 15 years in prison.
• Before this could happen one of the seven, Louis
  Lingg killed himself in his cell. Supposedly by
  biting down on a dynamite blasting cap.
• November 11th (black Friday), Albert Parsons,
  August Spies, George Engel and Adolf Fischer were
  hanged.
• Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab and Oscar Neebe
  were pardoned because they asked for mercy.

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Effect of the Haymarket Bombing

• Along with raising concern and fear among middle
  and upper class citizens the effects were the
  following
• Stronger police and military forces
• Employers hired more foreign employees.
• Knights of Labor decreased in popularity.
• Today, May Day is celebrated all over the world
  as the International Working Class Holiday.