A violent episode of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 in Chicago, resulting in up to 30 rioter deaths and over 100 combined civilian and police casualties.
Key Facts
- Rioters killed or dying
- 14 to 30
- Civilians wounded
- 35 to 100
- Police wounded
- 9 to 13
- Strike onset date
- July 27, 1877
- Order restored
- Evening of July 26, 1877
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Chicago unrest grew out of the national Great Railroad Strike of 1877. On July 26, meetings of working men across Chicago galvanized laborers from multiple industries, who were aggrieved by wage cuts and poor conditions imposed by railroad companies during a period of economic hardship following the Panic of 1873.
Beginning the morning of July 27, workers from various Chicago industries walked off the job. Large crowds assembled throughout the city over the following days, and violent confrontations broke out between rioters and police, making Chicago one of the most turbulent centers of the nationwide labor uprising.
By the time civil order was restored on the evening of July 26, between 14 and 30 rioters were dead or dying, 35 to 100 civilians were wounded, and 9 to 13 policemen were injured. The episode highlighted deep tensions between labor and capital in industrializing America and contributed to subsequent debates over workers' rights and the use of force against strikers.
Political Outcome
Order restored by force after several days of rioting; 14–30 rioters dead, over 100 combined casualties among civilians and police.
Workers and crowds temporarily disrupted city commerce and challenged authorities
State and local forces reasserted control, suppressing the strike