The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 erupted on July 14 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad cut wages for the third time in a year, triggering America's first multi-state labor uprising. Against the backdrop of the Long Depression—which had driven unemployment to 14 percent and slashed wages by half—railroad workers from West Virginia to California halted freight traffic across the nation. What began in Martinsburg spread to Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago, and St. Louis, drawing supp

In July 1877, Pennsylvania Railroad workers retaliated against wage & job cuts. The striking workers at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Railroad rail yards blocked railway cars. On July 21, militia & soldiers were called to help law enforcement. The unrest ended with more than 20 deaths & property damage. ➡ https://phmc.info/2q0TEUw Photos preserved by the State #Archives. #OnThisDay | Pennsylvania Trails of History