Annals of the great strikes in the United States

In Short

This book offers a comprehensive, contemporaneous chronicle of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, a transformative event in American labor history. Spanning the initial unrest in West Virginia to the broader national response, the narrative captures the rapid escalation of protests, the deployment of state and federal military forces, and the resulting social anxieties of the era. By documenting the strikes as a national phenomenon rather than isolated incidents, it provides a vital window into the fears, political strategies, and economic grievances that defined late 19th-century industrial life in the United States.

The Story

The narrative begins in the summer of 1877, as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad becomes the epicenter of an unprecedented labor uprising. What originates as a localized dispute over wages and working conditions in Martinsburg, West Virginia, quickly spirals into a regional paralysis. The author tracks how, within days, the strike spreads from the mountain regions of West Virginia into Maryland and Pennsylvania, fueled by the frustration of workers whose livelihoods have been strained by wage reductions. As freight traffic grinds to a halt, the state governors find themselves caught in a rapidly deteriorating situation where local police and even some militia units refuse to act against the strikers, often out of sympathy for their cause.

The tension reaches a breaking point as the struggle expands into urban centers. In Baltimore, the arrival of state militia leads to violent clashes in the streets, leaving a trail of casualties and deepening public resentment toward both the railroad companies and the authorities. The narrative shifts focus to Pittsburgh and other industrial hubs, detailing the systematic destruction of property, the burning of depots, and the arrival of federal troops ordered by the executive branch. Throughout these descriptions, the author maintains a clear distinction between the striking railroad men—whom he often describes as having legitimate grievances—and the opportunistic "hoodlum" element that exploited the chaos for arson and theft.

As the strikes move toward the Midwest and eventually reach the Pacific coast, the book highlights the government’s shift toward total mobilization. President Hayes and his cabinet maintain constant, hour-by-hour communication via telegraph, coordinating the military response across multiple states. In cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and St. Louis, the narrative describes the frantic preparations made by local committees of safety and municipal leaders, who arm themselves to protect property and maintain order. The story concludes as the organized strength of the state, combined with the exhaustion of the strikers, brings the conflict to a close. Despite the restoration of order, the author reflects on the instability of a system that relies on force rather than mutual concession, suggesting that the underlying economic frustrations remain largely unaddressed. He concludes that the strike was not merely a riot, but an inevitable consequence of a society failing to reconcile the rights of labor with the concentration of industrial wealth.

How It Unfolds

The spark in West Virginia The crisis begins when workers at Martinsburg refuse to allow freight trains to proceed, quickly drawing in local citizens and canal-boatmen. The governor of West Virginia realizes he is powerless, as even his own militia units refuse to fire upon their neighbors.

The spread of the contagion The strike jumps from state to state, following the lines of the Baltimore and Ohio and the Pennsylvania railroads. Fear grips the national government as the telegraph transmits reports of riots, burned depots, and the systematic disruption of transcontinental commerce.

The intervention of the state Governors and the federal government deploy national guardsmen and regular army troops to break the strike. Violent confrontations occur in urban centers, most notably in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, where the use of lethal force marks a turning point in the conflict.

The final suppression As the military presence increases, the strike loses its initial momentum in the eastern and central states. In the West, particularly in San Francisco, the authorities successfully preempt potential riots by organizing citizen patrols and police reinforcements, effectively stifling any further unrest.

The People

The book features a wide cast representing the fractured factions of the Gilded Age. Oliver Garrison, the Vice President of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, emerges as a rare figure of restraint, choosing to negotiate with his employees rather than rely on the "tyranny" of force, which the author credits with saving St. Louis from violence. In contrast, the strike leaders—such as the unnamed "ringleaders" at Pittsburgh or B. J. Donahue on the Erie line—are depicted as desperate or defiant men, sometimes inciting others to "give them hell" when faced with the bayonets of the militia. Governor John Lee Carroll of Maryland and other state executives represent the voice of the state, issuing proclamations and mobilizing the national guard to protect corporate property. Finally, the "hoodlums" and "idle men" are portrayed as a distinct, destructive force separate from the organized strikers, existing on the margins of society and seizing the moment for looting. The author treats the working men as people with understandable grievances, while he views the military commanders and government officials as agents of necessity, tasked with restoring a peace that is ultimately fragile.

In Its Own Voice

"A Republic still regarded in the light of an experiment, having lately terminated a long and fierce sectional conflict by engaging in one of the greatest wars of modern times; having achieved order, reconciliation and peace between all sections, having demonstrated the greatness and magnanimity of the people; having extorted from the enemies of liberal institutions acknowledgements that self-government was a possibility, having accomplished all these things—this Republic suddenly startles the world."

This observation opens the preface, setting the stage for how the 1877 strikes shattered the post-Civil War peace of the nation.

"The striking and disaffected railway employes will not forget that they avowed opinions, and entered upon a course subversive of the existing vicious system in the distribution of wealth—the production of labor."

In the concluding analysis, the author posits that the strike was a symptom of a deeper, unresolved economic conflict that would continue to haunt the nation.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book explores the fundamental question of whether the American democratic experiment can survive the pressures of industrial capitalism. The author argues that the 1877 strikes were not merely a temporary outburst of lawlessness, but a warning that the "vicious system" of wealth distribution had created a class of laborers who felt disenfranchised from the prosperity they helped build. The narrative challenges the reader to consider whether the state’s reliance on military force is a sustainable solution to social discontent. It interrogates the thin line between a legitimate protest for fair wages and a riotous insurrection, ultimately suggesting that without fundamental changes to how labor is valued, the country is destined to face recurring cycles of disorder.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in the history of the American labor movement will find this book an invaluable, if occasionally challenging, resource. Because it was written in the immediate aftermath of the events of 1877, it possesses a raw, journalistic intensity that later histories often lack. You will feel the palpable anxiety that gripped the country as the telegraph reports rolled in, creating a sense of a nation teetering on the edge of total collapse.

However, prospective readers should be prepared for the author’s distinct late-19th-century perspective. The prose is ornate and occasionally moralistic, reflecting the class-conscious anxieties of the time; the author is quick to condemn "hoodlums" while being more measured toward the railroad workers. Additionally, the book’s structure is repetitive, as it moves through various geographic locations to catalog strikes in minute detail, which can make the middle sections feel dense. Despite these hurdles, the book remains a fascinating primary text. It offers a rare look at how the American public—and the political elite—grappled with the sudden birth of industrial warfare. What stays with you is the haunting realization that the questions raised by the author regarding the relationship between labor, capital, and the state were not fully resolved in his time, and they continue to resonate in the contemporary American experience.