Labor History

Captain Jack was a Modoc. His real name was Kintpuash. He was a warrior and a chief, who grew up near Tule Lake, on the California-Oregon border. It was not the richest land, though it was enough to sustain his small tribe. It certainly wasn’t rich enough to support the Modocs and the white settlers […]

Today in Labor History April 23, 1343: The Saint George’s Night Uprising began in the Duchy of Estonia. Native Estonians tried to expel their Danish and German landlords and rulers. They also wanted to restore their pre-Christian religion. Initially, the Estonians prevailed. But the Teutonic Order eventually invaded and put down the uprising. During the

Today in Labor History April 22, 1526: The first slaves were brought to the Americas in 1519. And the second slave revolt occurred just eight years later, on April 22, 1526. (The first was the Santo Domingo revolt, in 1521). 1800s April 22, 1891: Italian-American Anarchist Nicola Sacco was born on this day. The authorities

1500s Today in Labor History April 21, 1506: The Lisbon Massacre ended. During the three days of slaughter, Portuguese Catholics killed over 1,900 suspected Jews. April 21, 1545: Juan de Villarroel filed the first mining claim at Potosí, in what is now Bolivia. The mine was on Cerro Rico mountain, which had one of the richest

Today in Labor History April 20, 1812: Luddites attacked factories in Middleton, Manchester, Bolton, Ashton, Oldham and Cheshire England. April 20, 1912: Nearly 10,000 demonstrators celebrated the textile workers’ victory in Lawrence, MA. They won a 10-20% pay hike and grievance committees after a brutal strike that united workers from 51 nationalities. During the strike, police