The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first strike that spread across multiple states in the U.S. The strike ended 52 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the National Guard, and federal troops. Because of economic problems and pressure on wages by the railroads, workers in numerous other states, from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois and Missouri, also went on strike. An estimated 100 people were killed in the unrest across the country.
US army breaks railroad strike
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third...
Historical Significance
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year.
Events Before
The Reichsbank, the central bank of the German Empire, opens in Berlin
The Reichsbank, the central bank of the German Empire, opens in Berlin
Albert Spalding invests $800 to start a sporting goods company, manufacturing the first official baseball, tennis ball,
Albert Spalding invests $800 to start a sporting goods company, manufacturing the first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, and football
Julius Wolff opens the Wolff & Reesing Cannery, the first US sardine factory, in Eastport, Maine
Julius Wolff opens the Wolff & Reesing Cannery, the first US sardine factory, in Eastport, Maine
Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray apply separately for telephone patents, the Supreme Court eventually rules Bell th
Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray apply separately for telephone patents, the Supreme Court eventually rules Bell the rightful inventor
Sardines first canned by Julius Wolff in Eastport, Maine
Sardines first canned by Julius Wolff in Eastport, Maine
Events After
First US bicycle club, the Boston Bicycle Club, forms
The Capital Bicycle Club was an early American cycling club based in Washington, D.C.
Thomas Edison is granted a patent for his cylinder phonograph [1]
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound.
53rd UK Prime Minister Archibald Primrose (31) weds heiress Hannah de Rothschild (27) at the Board of Guardians in Mount
53rd UK Prime Minister Archibald Primrose (31) weds heiress Hannah de Rothschild (27) at the Board of Guardians in Mount Street, London
W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's comic opera "H.M.S. Pinafore" premieres in London, their first international success
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert.
Congress of Berlin begins, determines the territories of the states in the Balkan peninsula following the Russo-Turkish
Congress of Berlin begins, determines the territories of the states in the Balkan peninsula following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78
More from the 1870s
Belgium disbands its salt tax
Belgium disbands its salt tax
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that tim
The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that time
Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar
Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the…
New York City annexes the West Bronx
The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on July 21, 1877?
- The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first strike that spread across multiple states in the U.S. The strike ended 52 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the National Guard, and federal troops.
- Why is US army breaks railroad strike significant?
- The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval, began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) cut wages for the third time in a year.