Today in Labor History August 14, 1791: Dutty Boukman led a Vodou ceremony with slaves from Saint Domingue plantations, marking the start of the Haitian Revolution. Marxist writer C. L. R. James wrote the best book on the Haitian Revolution and the creation of the world’s first black republic: “The Black Jacobins,” (1938). Also, be sure to check out the wonderful music of the contemporary Haitian pop group, Boukman Eksperyans, named for the Haitian revolutionary, Dutty Boukman.
1840s-1850s
Today in Labor History August 14, 1846: The authorities jailed Henry David Thoreau for refusing to pay his taxes in protest of the Mexican War. Aside from this early act of American civil disobedience and war resistance, Thoreau also wrote, “Walden.” His essay, “Civil Disobedience,” influenced generations of activists and writers, including Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Tolstoy, Yeats, Proust, Hemingway, Upton Sinclair and Martin Buber.
Today in Labor History August 14, 1850: A squatters’ riots occurred in Sacramento, California. At the time, Sacramento was an unincorporated territory. Many people had moved to the region for the gold rush, resulting in land speculation and skyrocketing rents. The squatters vowed to defend their claims by force and created their own militia, consisting of dozens of men. The property owners called in the regional militia, with over 500 men. 2 squatters and 3 militiamen died in the battles, as well as 2 bystanders.
20th Century
August 14, 1934: The most successful anti-poverty program in U.S. history was created when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law.
Today in Labor History August 14, 1999: Former AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland died. Kirkland was a staunch anti-Communist and strong supporter of the Solidarity movement in Poland.