Today in Labor History May 11, 1878: Emil Heinrich Maximilian Hoedel, a 21-year-old anarchist, shot Emperor Wilhelm I of Prussia. He did it in order to publicize the plight of the workers. The authorities immediately captured him and beheaded him two months later. As he prepared to die, he shouted, “Vive la commune.” The Mussel […]

1830s-1850s Today in Labor History May 10, 1768: People rioted in London when the authorities imprisoned John Wilkes. The police arrested him for writing an article criticizing the king. Wilkes was a British radical journalist and politician. He was a Member of Parliament at the time of his arrest. During the riot, government soldiers opened

1700s Today in Labor History May 9, 1726: The authorities executed five men for violating Britain’s Buggery Act 1533. They had been arrested at Mother Clap’s, a well-known “Molly House,” or gay tavern. Today in Labor History May 9, 1763: The Siege of Fort Detroit began today. It was an unsuccessful attempt by Native Americans to

The French Revolution Today in Labor History May 8, 1794: The Committee for Public Safety tried, convicted AND guillotined chemist Antoine Lavoisier on this day. It was during the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution. Lavoisier was a reformer who had participated in the revolution. However, he was also an aristocrat and a tax collector.

Today in Labor History May 7, 1763: Pontiac’s War began against British rule in the Great Lakes region after the French and Indian War. The Native American warriors destroyed eight forts and killed hundreds of colonists. The British eventually sent in the army and crushed the rebellion. 1840s May 7, 1845: Mary Eliza Mahoney was