Spark of the Great Strike

The Spark of the Great Strike Martinsburg, West Virginia Paper 1877 On July 16th several firemen and brakemen on The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad refused to work the trains and caused a massive buildup of train traffic in Camden Junction just outside of Baltimore. The strikers gave their reason for striking; a 10 percent wage cut taking affect that day. (NY Times) The strikers overtook trains and there was even a report of a beating taking place …

…compensation. Eventually those who had been striking against the railroads took a political stand against the leaders of the industry and eventually made an impact. Bibliography -Bruce, Robert V. 1877: Year of Violence (Chicago, 1959) -NY Times The Railroad Men’s War The New York Times, July 19, 1877 -NY Times Baltimore and Ohio Strike The New York Times, July 18, 1877 -NY Times Railroad Employees on Strike The New York Times, July 17, 1877 - http://www.furman.edu/~benson/col-tom.html , 12/5/99