January 1, This Day in History – May 1st

On May 1st, 1886, thousands of workers across the United States went on strike as part of a campaign for an eight-hour workday. The strike, which was organized by labor unions and socialist groups, would lead to the infamous Haymarket Riot in Chicago, one of the most significant events in the history of the American labor movement.

The campaign for an eight-hour workday had been building for years, with workers organizing and advocating for better working conditions and shorter hours. On May 1st, 1886, thousands of workers across the country walked off the job, demanding that their employers grant them the right to work no more than eight hours a day.

The strike quickly turned violent, with clashes between workers and police in cities across the country. The most infamous incident occurred on May 4th in Chicago’s Haymarket Square, where a protest rally turned deadly after a bomb was thrown at police officers, killing one and injuring many others.

The aftermath of the Haymarket Riot was brutal, with dozens of workers and labor leaders arrested and charged with conspiracy and murder. Four of the accused were eventually executed, despite widespread protests and accusations of a miscarriage of justice.

The legacy of the Haymarket Riot is complex, with some seeing it as a turning point in the struggle for workers’ rights and others viewing it as a cautionary tale about the dangers of radicalism and violence. However, the campaign for an eight-hour workday and the events of May 1st, 1886, remain an important moment in the history of the American labor movement and a reminder of the ongoing struggle for fair and just working conditions.