The Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886 was a labor union strike against the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads involving more than 200,000 workers. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... Missouri Pacific (MoPac; AAR reporting mark MP) was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. ...

In March 1886, railroad workers in the Southwest United States conducted an unsuccessful strike against railroads owned by Jay Gould, one of the more flamboyant of the 'robber baron' industrialists of the day. March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Jay Gould (1836-1892) Jason Gould (May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American financier. ... John D. Rockefeller Sr. ...

The failure of the strike led directly to the collapse of the Knights of Labor and the formation of the American Federation of Labor. Knights of Labor seal The Knights of Labor was a labor union founded in secrecy in December 1869, by a group of Philadelphia tailors led by Uriah S. Stephens. ... The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. ...

Causes and history of the strike

At the time of the strike, Gould owned all the elevated rail lines in New York City, the Western Union telegraph service and the Union Pacific, Missouri Pacific, Missouri Kansas & Texas (M-K-T) railroads. In toto, Gould owned almost 12 percent of all railroad track in the U.S. Nickname The Big Apple, The Capital of the World [1], Gotham Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 1,214. ... Western Union is a financial services and communications company based in the United States and owned by First Data Corporation. ... The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (known as the MKT, or Katy) began as the Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch (unrelated to the Union Pacific Railroad) in 1865. ...

The strike began when a member of the Knights of Labor in Marshall, Texas was fired for attending a union meeting on company time. The local chapter of the Knights called a strike. Knights of Labor seal The Knights of Labor was a labor union founded in secrecy in December 1869, by a group of Philadelphia tailors led by Uriah S. Stephens. ... Marshall is a major city in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. ...

Soon, more than 200,000 workers were on strike in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. Although the dismissal of the leadman in Texas had sparked the initial strike, wages, hours and unsafe working conditions motivated most of the strikers. Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Little Rock Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi  (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 211 mi; 340 km 400 mi; 645 km 0. ... Official language(s) none, English most common Capital Largest city Jefferson City Kansas City Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 21st 69,709 sq mi  180,693 km² 240 miles  385 km 300 miles  480 km 1. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq. ...

From the start there were problems. The Brotherhood of Engineers refused to honor the strike, and its members kept working.

Meanwhile, Gould immediately hired strikebreakers to work the railroad, famously declaring, 'I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half.' A strikebreaker is a heroic figure with a free mind and free will, considered by many to be the culmination of human virtue. ...

Pinkerton detectives were employed to break up union meetings, beat union leaders and sympathizers, and commit acts of violence that were to be blamed on the Knights. Pinkerton guards escort strikebreakers in Buchtel, Ohio, 1884 The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was a security guard agency established in the United States in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton who became famous when he foiled a plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. ...

On March 19, 1886, Grand Master Workman Terence V. Powderly of the Knights of Labor met in Kansas City, Missouri with other leaders of the Knights, the governors of Kansas and Missouri, and railroad officials to try to bring an end to the strike. The meeting continued for two days, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement. March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Terence V. Powderly (1849-1924) was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, the son of Irish immigrants. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Official website: http://www. ...

After several incidents of 'union violence' occurred, Gould requested military assistance from the governors of the affected states. The governor of Missouri mobilized the state militia; the governor of Texas mobilized both the state militia and the Texas Rangers. The governor of Kansas refused after local officials reported no incidents of violence, despite claims by railway executives that mobs had seized control of trains and rail yards were burning. Official crest of the Texas Ranger Division The Texas Ranger Division, commonly known as the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction based in Austin, the capital city of Texas, in the United States. ...

The exercise of state police power on behalf of the railways led union members to retaliate. Switching houses were burned, mechanic shops wrecked and trains uncoupled. Shots were fired at a moving train in Missouri. A favorite tactic of the rail workers was to let steam locomotives go cold, forcing the railroad to spend up to six hours slowly reheating the engines for use.

As the violence spread, public opinion turned against the workers. The physical attacks by the Pinkerton agents scared thousands of workers into returning to work.

The strike petered out during the summer of 1886. By September, the strike was over.

Collapse of the Knights of Labor

The failure of the Great Southwest Railroad Strike represented the first major defeat sustained by the Knights of Labor. When the strike did not draw the support of the engineers and other industrial workers, the Knights' vision of an industrial union withered as well. Internal conflict broke out between various factions within the Knights, paralyzing the union.

The Great Southwest Railroad Strike and the Haymarket riot demoralized the Knights of Labor and energized management. By 1890, membership in the Knights of Labor had plummeted by 90 percent. Employers adopted a model for stamping out strikes that called for holding firm and calling for government troops. The Haymarket Riot on May 4, 1886, in Chicago, Illinois is the origin of international May Day observances and in popular literature inspired the caricature of a bomb-throwing anarchist. ...

While the collapse of the railroad strike set the American labor movement back, the organizational problems within the Knights of Labor also became apparent. This led Samuel Gompers of the cigar makers union, Peter J. McGuire of the carpenters union and others to organize a more effective labor organization. On December 8, 1886, they and a few other delegates met in Columbus, Ohio, to create the American Federation of Labor. Samuel Gompers Samuel Gompers (January 27, 1850–December 13, 1924) was the long-time leader of the American Federation of Labor who helped define the structure and the economic and political goals of the American labor movement. ... Peter J. McGuire (July 6, 1852 - February 18, 1906) was an American labor leader of the nineteenth century, the founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and one of the leading figures in the first three decades of the American Federation of Labor. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Arch City The Discovery City Official website: http://www. ...

References

• Allen, Rith A. The Great Southwest Strike. Austin: University of Texas, 1942.
• Case, Theresa A. Free Labor on the Southwestern Railroads: The 1885-1886 Gould System Strikes. Dissertation, University of Houston-Downtown, 2002.
• Dulles, Foster Rhea and Dubofsky, Melvyn. Labor in America: A History. 7th ed. Arlington Heights, IL: Harlan Davidson, 2004. ISBN 0882959980
• Walker, Edith. 'Labor Problems During the First Year of Governor Martin's Administration.' Kansas Historical Quarterly. February, 1936 (vol. 5, no. 1). pp. 33-53.