Preceden

Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Timeline

(July 14–September 4, 1877)

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the first major nationwide labor uprising in the United States, sparked by railroad wage cuts and intensified by economic depression. The strike spread across several states, prompting violent confrontations, military intervention, and renewed debate about workers' rights and labor organization. Less

Build a timeline like this one in minutes, for free. Start Yours →

Go to: Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Economic conditions

Railroad construction boom begins

1866 - 1873

After the Civil War ended, railroad construction entered a major boom. Approximately 35,000 miles of track were laid across the United States between 1866 and 1873.

Image source: History of rail transportation in the United States

Railroad construction boom begins

Railroad construction contracts

1872 - 1875

National railroad construction dropped from 7,500 miles of track in 1872 to only 1,600 miles in 1875. Production of iron and steel also fell by as much as 45 percent.

Image source: Long Depression

Railroad construction contracts

Panic of 1873 begins

1873

The financial Panic of 1873 marked the beginning of the Long Depression in the United States and contributed to worsening economic conditions for workers and railroads.

Image source: Panic of 1873

Panic of 1873 begins

Long Depression begins

1873 - 1878

The Long Depression began in the United States after the Panic of 1873 and lasted 65 months. It became the longest economic contraction in American history, exceeding the duration of the later Great Depression.

New York unemployment crisis

1873 - 1874

One in four laborers in New York was out of work during the winter of 1873–1874, illustrating the severity of the economic contraction.

Antagonism grows between workers and industry

1873 - 1877

In the wake of the Panic of 1873, bitter antagonism developed between workers and industrial leaders as unemployment, wage reductions, and poor conditions intensified.

Image source: Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Antagonism grows between workers and industry

Unemployment reaches 14 percent

1876

Unemployment rose dramatically during the depression, reaching 14 percent by 1876. Many additional workers were severely underemployed, while wages overall fell to about 45 percent of their previous level.

Government response and legacy

National Guard modernization gains impetus

1877

The violence of 1877 provided impetus for modernizing the National Guard so it could aid civil officers and suppress or prevent riots and insurrections.

Image source: National Guard (United States)

National Guard modernization gains impetus

National Guard response proves ineffective

1877

Attempts to use the National Guard to quell violent outbreaks highlighted its ineffectiveness and, in some cases, its propensity to side with strikers and rioters.

Strikers are arrested for contempt

1877

Following the court's intervention, strikers were arrested and tried for contempt of court.

Federal marshals protect railroads

1877

Judge Drummond instructed United States marshals to protect the railroads and requested federal troops to enforce his decision.

Federal court declares train interference unlawful

1877

Judge Thomas Drummond of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that a strike or other unlawful interference with trains violated United States law and that the court had to enforce the penalty.

Martinsburg strike report is published

Jul 24, 1877

The Statesman of Martinsburg, West Virginia, published “The B&O Railroad Strike of 1877” on July 24, 1877.

Relay Depot is seized

Jul 28, 1877

On July 28, authorities took control of the Relay Depot, the command center for the uprising, and arrested approximately seventy strikers.

The Great Strike is published

Aug 11, 1877

Harper's Weekly published an account titled “The Great Strike” on August 11, 1877, documenting the national railroad unrest.

Posse Comitatus Act limits federal troops

1878

The use of federal troops during the strike prompted bipartisan support for the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which limited the president's power to use federal troops for domestic law enforcement.

Image source: Posse Comitatus Act

Posse Comitatus Act limits federal troops

Railroad riots report is issued

1878

A publication titled “Report of the Railroad Riots in July 1877” recorded the disturbances associated with the Great Railroad Strike.

National Guard puts down later disorders

1886 - 1895

In the years after 1877, the National Guard increased its forces and put down 328 civil disorders between 1886 and 1895, mostly in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. Workers came to view guardsmen as tools of employers.

Martinsburg strike site receives state marker

1978

A historical marker commemorating the strike was placed in Martinsburg in 1978 by the West Virginia Department of Culture and History.

Martinsburg shops become landmark

2003

In 2003, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops, where the strike began, were declared a National Historic Landmark.

Image source: Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops

Martinsburg shops become landmark

Baltimore historical marker is installed

2013

In 2013, the Maryland Historical Trust and Maryland State Highway Administration placed a historical marker commemorating the event in Baltimore.

Strike and unrest

Baltimore violence recalls the Pratt Street riots

1877

The violence was described as a horrible scene reminiscent of the bloody Pratt Street Riots of April 1861, which had occurred during the Civil War era.

Railroad wage cuts intensify

1877

By 1877, ten-percent wage cuts, distrust of capitalists, and poor working conditions led workers to conduct numerous railroad strikes that prevented trains from moving and produced wider economic effects.

Fears of revolution spread

1877

Some local observers feared that workers were rising in revolution similar to the Paris Commune of 1871, while others joined the workers' efforts against the railroads.

Employers compare unrest to the Paris Commune

1877

Employers and liberals feared the spread of communism through organizations such as the recently founded Workingmen's Party in Chicago and frequently compared such movements with the Paris Commune of 1871.

Reading Railway engineers strike

1877

Engineers had been striking against the Philadelphia and Reading Railway since April 1877. The city contained the railway's engine works and shops.

Martinsburg strikers stop freight trains

Jul 14, 1877

At the Martinsburg, West Virginia, station, strikers refused to let freight trains pass, helping turn a local wage dispute into a national railroad strike.

Strike begins in Martinsburg

Jul 14, 1877

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, also called the Great Upheaval, began in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad cut wages for the third time in a year.

First national strike begins

Jul 16, 1877

The first national strike began on July 16, 1877, involving Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Albany workers gather

Jul 25, 1877

On July 25, workers gathered at the Van Woert Street Rail Crossing in Albany, adding to the wave of railroad-related unrest.

Scranton posse confronts strikers

Aug 1, 1877

In Scranton, one day after railroad workers began a strike, a city posse of 51 men armed with new rifles and commanded by William Walker Scranton returned fire on rioters and strikers.

Labor organization

B&O creates employee relief association

1880

With public attention focused on workers' wages and conditions, the B&O founded an Employee Relief Association that provided death benefits and some health care.

Image source: Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

B&O creates employee relief association

Knights of Labor reaches 700,000 members

1880 - 1888

By the late nineteenth century, the Knights of Labor, a predominantly European and Catholic national organization, had 700,000 members seeking to represent all workers.

Image source: Knights of Labor

Knights of Labor reaches 700,000 members

B&O establishes relief association

May 1, 1880

On May 1, 1880, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad established the Baltimore and Ohio Employees' Relief Association. It provided coverage for sickness, accidental injury, and death benefits.

B&O offers a pension plan

1884

In 1884, the Baltimore and Ohio became the first major employer to offer a pension plan.

Bureau of Labor is formed

1884

Congress formed the Bureau of Labor in 1884, creating a federal institution concerned with labor matters in the period after the railroad strike.

Image source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Bureau of Labor is formed

American Federation of Labor is founded

1886

Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor in 1886 for skilled craft trades, attracting skilled workers from other organizations.

Image source: American Federation of Labor

American Federation of Labor is founded

Nationwide strike participation rises

1886

Nearly 700,000 workers went on strike in 1886, demonstrating the continuing growth of organized labor after the Great Railroad Strike.

Image source: Labor history of the United States

Nationwide strike participation rises

Catholic bishops support Knights of Labor

1888

In 1888, Archbishop James Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore sympathized with workers and worked with other bishops to lift the prohibition against workers joining the Knights of Labor.

Build a timeline like this one in minutes, for free. Start Yours →

Key Facts

  1. The strike began after the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad announced a second wage cut during the economic depression of 1873.
  2. Railroad workers in Martinsburg, West Virginia, halted trains on July 14, helping spark strikes in cities across the country.
  3. The unrest spread to major railroad centers including Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco.
  4. Violence in Pittsburgh led to the destruction of railroad property and the deaths of both strikers and members of the state militia.
  5. The strike largely failed to reverse wage cuts, but it increased public awareness of labor conditions and encouraged the growth of organized labor.

Source

This Great Railroad Strike of 1877 timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free