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Page 4 of 4 Revival Organizing efforts showed positive results between 1910 and 1914; 70 percent of the increase came from the rail, building, clothing and coal-mining industries. While the coal-miners’ strikes of this period were unsuccessful in their economic goals, they added about 150,000 miners to the union and served to change the public attitude toward unions. Primarily conducted in West Virginia and Colorado, these actions were bloody confrontations between strikers and hired guards. For instance, in February 1913 peaceful picketing in the Cabin Creek district of West Virginia was shattered when mine guards on a hired train machine-gunned a tent village at Holly Grove. Miners retaliated against the guards’ camp, and the governor imposed martial law. But the public was shocked by the violence against peaceful pickets, and a new governor ordered imprisoned miners released and proposed settlement terms which were accepted by both sides.
Perhaps the most horrifying incident occurred during an organizing strike in the Colorado mines. Beginning in 1913, the strike was a violent one, with agency guards in armored automobiles attacking a tent colony at Forbes and a strikers’ meeting at Walsenburg. But the climax was the April 1914 assault by the militia on the Ludlow tent village. Two strikers and a boy were killed, and the troops captured and set fire to the camp. But the match which ignited the biggest fire was the discovery the next day of two women and 11 children smothered to death in a cave where they sought refuge from the assault. Southern Colorado became a battlefield until federal troops arrived and restored order a week later. Horrified by attacks like the Ludlow Massacre, the public forgot about “un-American’” closed shops and corrupt business agents. People became convinced employers were to blame for much of the labor strife and that industrial conditions needed reform.
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 1900 International Ladies' Garment Workers founded; Canadian Department of Labour created; anthracite coal strike in U.S. settled with 10 percent increase in rates; prohibitionist Cary Nation leads first bottle-smashing raid; Boxer Rebellion in China, hundreds of Europeans killed; England, Germany begin arms race. 1901 President William McKinley is assassinated, Theodore Roosevelt assumes the presidency; AFL defines affiliates' rights within their jurisdictions (Scranton Declaration); 58,000 U.S. Machinists strike for nine-hour day; U.S. National Metal Trades Association begins open-shop drive, starts strikebreaking service, employs labor spies; Sir Wilfrid Laurier (Liberal) in fifth year as prime minister of Canada. |
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