Where did this summer go? Next Monday is Labor Day already! It’s the un-official end of summer – but what do you know about Labor Day – other than it’s a good excuse to have a party or cook-out?
Labor Day has some of its roots in the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago. So definitely NOT a party. And as the word riot implies, there was violence and several deaths. On May 4, 1886, workers from the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company were holding a peaceful protest in support of a strike over the demand for an 8 hour workday. An unknown person brought a bomb – and threw it at police who were trying to break up the rally. Between the bomb and police firing in retaliation, seven police officers and four civilians were killed – and dozens more were wounded.
If you’re in Chicago, you can see a memorial to the events in Haymarket Square on the New West Side at Randolph and Des Plaines Streets just east of Halstead Street.
Fall out from the riot lead to the arrest of of eight men and the trial Illinois vs August Spies et al which began on June 21 1886. It was a high profile, contentious trial with jurors who themselves professed that they had prejudice against the defendants. In the end, 7 of the 8 defendants were sentenced to death by hanging with the 8th defendant sentenced to 15 years in prison.
It’s a fascinating case. 7 of the 8 were foreign born and were labeled as anarchists by the judge. There were allegations of manufactured evidence and evidence tampering as well as press campaigns inspiring widespread public fear and hate of immigrants as well as strikers.
The convictions were appealed – but the petitions were denied. Illinois Governor Richard Oglesby commuted two of the death sentences to life in prison in November 1887. And one of the defendants committed suicide on the eve of the scheduled executions. The remaining four defendants were taken to the gallows on November 11, 1887 where they were hanged – but did not die immediately. Instead, they strangled to death slowly.
And even though there were convictions, they were for conspiracy. No actual bomber was ever brought to trial – let alone convicted. However, the Haymarket Riot was one of many labor actions which eventually lead to the establishment of an 8 hour work day. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill creating the Labor Day holiday as the first Monday in September in 1894.
Want to know more about the Haymarket Affair? Check out these links:
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