Social Developments: The 1877 Railroad Strike Flashcards
What caused the 1877 Railroad Strike to happen?
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad business gave their employees a fourth paycut since 1873
Why did the B&O company give out so many paycuts to their workers?
Because they were attempting to recover from the 1873 Economic Panic
What happened when the workers started to get violent? Who sent them in?
Hayes sent in Federal Troops to deal with the strikes
Who encouraged Hayes to send in Federal troops to deal with the strikes?
Big business owners
What was Hayes sending in troops to deal with the railroad strikes potentially showing and why?
Corruption, because he was doing his actions in favour of big businesses rather than the workers
How many people were killed by the federal troops in attempts to stop the riots?
40 people were killed
How much damage was caused in Pittsburgh due to the railroad strikes?
$10 million
What was the social impact of the railroad strike?
It sparked fears in the middle class that there would be an uprising or another war would take place
What was the impact of the railroad strikes for workers?
It made them realise they had to become more organised to get what they wanted
What was a potential political impact of the railroad strikes?
It highlighted the politicians’ interest to keep the best interests of the big business owners as their primary thoughts and actions
