1500s-1700s
Today in Labor History December 25, 1553: Mapuche Chief Lautaro led rebels in the Battle of Tucapel. They defeated the Spanish conquistadors and killed the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia.
Today in Labor History December 25, 1766: The Mapuche uprising of 1766 began with a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish on this date. The uprising was the last major Spanish–Mapuche conflict in Araucanía. The governor of Chile, Antonio de Guill y Gonzaga, signed a peace agreement with the Mapuches in February, 1767.
1830s
Today in Labor History December 25, 1831: The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt, the largest slave uprising in the British West Indies, began on this date. Samuel Sharpe, a black Baptist deacon, led the revolt of 60,000 slaves. The 11-day uprising began as a general strike, but quickly turned violent. 14 whites and 207 black slaves died in the siege. However, the authorities executed another 340 rebels afterward.
Today in Labor History December 25, 1837: The Battle of Lake Okeechobee occurred on this date. It was part of the Second Seminole War. 800 troops led by Colonel Zachary Taylor fought 480 Seminoles led by Billy Bowlegs. 26 U.S. soldiers died, including the majority of Taylor’s officers. The U.S. killed 11 Seminoles and wounded 14. However, the Seminoles temporarily stopped Taylor’s troops from advancing further south.
1910s
Today in Labor History December 25, 1910: A bomb destroyed a portion of the Llewellyn Ironworks in Los Angeles. On October 1st, a bomb had destroyed the Los Angeles Times building, killing 21 employees and injuring over 100. The Iron Workers had been fighting a brutal and protracted battle with U.S. Steel and the American Bridge Company, which were busting their union with spies, informants, scabs and agents provocateur. Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Otis, who was viciously anti-union, provided propaganda for the bosses.
By 1910, the owners had driven nearly all the unions from their plants, except for the Iron Workers union, which had instigated a bombing campaign starting in 1906. In April 1911, private detective William Burns and Chicago police sergeant William Reed kidnapped James McNamara and held him hostage for a week prior to illegally extraditing him to Los Angeles for the bombings. Burns later arrested his brother John, but denied him access to an attorney. Both were likely innocent of the bombings. James McNamara spent the rest of his life in San Quentin, dying there in 1941. John served 15 years and then went on to serve as an organizer for the Iron Workers.
1920s-1950s
Today in Labor History December 25, 1927: B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burned copies of the Manusmriti to protest its treatment of Dalit people (formerly known as untouchables). Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist and social reformer who fought discrimination against Dalits. He later renounced Hinduism and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement. Many believe that the Manusmṛiti is the first Hindu legal text and constitution.
Today in Labor History December 25, 1951: A bomb exploded at the home of Harry and Harriette Moore, early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, killing them both. Harry Moore was an African-American educator and founder of the first branch of the NAACP in Brevard County, Florida. Harriette was also an educator and civil rights worker.
1960s-1980s
Today in Labor History December 25, 1968: Forty-four Dalits (untouchables) were burnt to death in the Kilvenmani massacre in Tamil Nadu. The Dalits had been striking for higher wages. The incident helped lead to major changes in the local rural economy, including a large redistribution of land. Meena Kandasamy portrayed the event in her 2014 novel “The Gypsy Goddess.”
Today in Labor History December 25, 1989: Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were condemned to death in a 1-hr show trial. They were executed by firing squad. Before his death, Nicolae said, “We could have been shot without having this masquerade.” Elena called their executioners sons of bitches, while Nicolae sang “The Internationale.”