The Pullman Strike Chicago 1894 The Pullman Palace

The Pullman Strike Chicago 1894

The Pullman Palace Car Company • Railway car company owned by George Pullman • Had over 6, 000 workers • Workers lived in a “company town”- Pullman, Chicago • Rent here was 25% higher than other areas

Reasons for the Strike • 1893: America was hit by a severe economic depression • Many businesses cut production, fired workers, and slashed wages • George Pullman cut workers’ wages but did not cut rent for their apartments • On May 10 th, 1894,

ARU Supports Pullman Workers • The American Railway Union was a national union of railway workers • Eugene Debs, the ARU leader, decided to support Pullman strikers • Across the nation, railway workers refused to run trains that had Pullman cars attached to them • The country was paralyzed- we already know how important railroads were to America at the time

Eugene Debs • Eugene Debs, the rail union president at the time of the strike, later campaigned as the American Socialist presidential candidate

President Grover Cleveland sends in troops…

Violence Erupts • Presence of federal troops set off riots • Rioters burned buildings, destroyed trains and railways • Troops killed 4 people and wounded 20

End of the Strike • • • By August 1894 the strike fell apart 1, 000 workers were fired New workers had to sign contracts promising not to join a union Most Americans saw striking unions as radical and violent Eugene Debs was arrested and jailed for 6 months for leading the strike

While reading ask yourselves… • What claims does the author make? • What evidence does the author use? • What language (words, phrases, images, symbols) does the author use to persuade the document’s audience? • How does the document’s language indicate the author’s perspective?