0:03 [SPEAKER_00]: Mayday is a pretty big deal in Europe, and you may have seen the colorful parades in the banners. 0:11 [SPEAKER_00]: Mayday is all about workers' rights, equality, and social justice. 0:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Most of us know that the day exists, but do we really know the truth about Mayday? 0:22 [SPEAKER_00]: The reason it is celebrated each year. 0:31 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back, friend, to hometown history. 0:35 [SPEAKER_00]: To uncover the truth, we need to step back in time. 0:41 [SPEAKER_00]: Our journey begins in the late 19th century. 0:45 [SPEAKER_00]: A time period marked by significant social and industrial changes. 0:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Your typical scene included buzzing factories, smoking chimneys, and the worrying and humming of different machines. 1:00 [SPEAKER_00]: This era was marked by the Industrial Revolution, a period that transformed the way goods were produced and changed the lives of millions. 1:11 [SPEAKER_00]: But during this film, things were truly ugly for the workers who found the situation to be getting challenging by the day. 1:20 [SPEAKER_00]: long working hours, inadequate wages, and unsafe workplaces where the harsh realities faced by these laborers. 1:31 [SPEAKER_00]: Imagine working 12-16 hours a day, six days a week, and often hazard us environments. 1:38 [SPEAKER_00]: It was obviously a trying time for them. 1:42 [SPEAKER_00]: The need for change was undeniable, so this collective sentiment gave birth to a powerful force, the labor movement. 1:53 [SPEAKER_00]: Now the labor movement was born out of frustration, and not just about the long working hours. 1:59 [SPEAKER_00]: many things had to change. 2:02 [SPEAKER_00]: It included broader objectives, such as fair compensation, improved working conditions, and the establishment of a work environment where all members felt valued. 2:15 [SPEAKER_00]: Now one key moment that shook the foundations of this movement was the hay market affair of 1886. 2:22 [SPEAKER_00]: Things really turned ugly after that. 2:27 [SPEAKER_00]: Now in the years following the Civil War, especially after the long depression, the United States saw a huge growth in industrial production as we discussed a boom in the industry. 2:41 [SPEAKER_00]: Chicago, being a major hub of industry, had tens of thousands of German and Bohemian immigrants, working for about one and a half dollars a day. 2:51 [SPEAKER_00]: Now, accounting for inflation, $1.5 US dollars in the 1886 is about $50 now. 3:00 [SPEAKER_00]: Back then, American workers were putting in more than 60 hours a week on average, 3:05 [SPEAKER_00]: Spread across six days, so that's roughly around $1,200 a month in today's money, give or take $50. 3:14 [SPEAKER_00]: So naturally, the city became a hot spot for efforts to improve working conditions. 3:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Workers were pushing for better treatment, but employers weren't exactly on board. 3:27 [SPEAKER_00]: You'd expect that, obviously. 3:30 [SPEAKER_00]: so they responded with measures against unions, like firing and black listing union members, locking workers out, bringing and strike breakers, and even using spies, thugs, and private security forces, and in some below-the-belt moves, they fueled ethnic tensions, to divide the workers and distract them from their main objective. 3:54 [SPEAKER_00]: This included stuff like discriminating hiring practices like hiring one race over another or paying one race more than the other. 4:06 [SPEAKER_00]: And if anything, this just made the workers angrier with factories. 4:11 [SPEAKER_00]: Newspapers who were very pro-businesses backed these dirty practices in the labor and immigrant press oppose them. 4:23 [SPEAKER_00]: Eventually, between 1882 and 1886, when things had slowed down economically, socialist and anarchist groups became quite active. 4:34 [SPEAKER_00]: The Knights of Labor, a group that didn't support socialism, but did back the idea of an eight-hour workday, grew from 70,000 members in 1884, 4:51 [SPEAKER_00]: Clearly people were sick of what factories were putting them through. 4:57 [SPEAKER_00]: In Chicago, an anarchist movement mainly consisting of several thousand immigrant workers, revolved around the German language newspaper, Arbiter Ziting, which means workers' newspaper and English. 5:12 [SPEAKER_00]: An man named August Spies was the editor at the time. 5:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Now all of these protests and oppositions were peaceful. 5:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Just people standing up for what's right. 5:23 [SPEAKER_00]: But there were other anarchists operating with a more radical approach. 5:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Their revolutionary plan focused on the belief that successful operations against the police in seizing major industrial centers would get them massive public support. 5:41 [SPEAKER_00]: The support they needed to kickstart her revolution, bring down capitalism and establish a socialist economy. 5:50 [SPEAKER_00]: As you can guess, these were big ideas that were caused an even bigger mess for the United States. 6:01 [SPEAKER_00]: As May 1st 1886 approached, 6:04 [SPEAKER_00]: When the demand for an eight-hour work day was just about to become standard, labor unions and the US geared up for a massive general strike. 6:14 [SPEAKER_00]: On that side of day, thousands of workers across the United States decided to go on strike and attended rallies. 6:23 [SPEAKER_00]: The anthem of the movement was eight hour, and echoed through the air as they passionately advocated for their cause, singing eight hours for work, eight hours for rust, eight hours for what we will. 6:39 [SPEAKER_00]: It was an important day for them, and it was evident by their energy and motivation to be part of the rallies. 6:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Estimates suggested that between 3 to 500,000 workers join the strike across the country. 6:54 [SPEAKER_00]: In major cities like New York, Detroit, and Milwaukee, tens of thousands of workers showed up in solidarity. 7:03 [SPEAKER_00]: In the heart of it all, Chicago witnessed a massive turnout, with around 30 to 40,000 workers on strike, and double that number participating in various demonstrations and marches. 7:17 [SPEAKER_00]: This was a large-scale demonstration, but again, things were mostly peaceful, which was a good thing for the movement. 7:26 [SPEAKER_00]: But things changed with an incident outside the McCormick 7:33 [SPEAKER_00]: The end of the workday bell triggered a clash between workers and strikebreakers, and ended up causing the police to fire on the crowd. 7:44 [SPEAKER_00]: This was the turning point, and the start of the hundreds of deaths that were followed. 7:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Two workers were killed during that fire, and the violence was about to spread. 7:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Enraged by the police violence, local anarchists quickly circulated flyers, calling for a rally the following day at Haymarket Square, accusing the police of murdering strikers on behalf of business interests and urging workers to seek justice. 8:15 [SPEAKER_00]: As you would expect, the people were angry, frustrated, still the rally began peacefully on the evening of May 4th, under light rain with speakers addressing her crowd, estimated between 600 to 3000. 8:33 [SPEAKER_00]: August Spies was one of the speakers, and he emphasized the peaceful intent of the meeting, 8:42 [SPEAKER_00]: the general situation of the eight-hour movement. 8:48 [SPEAKER_00]: It should throw light on various incidents in connection with it. 8:51 [SPEAKER_00]: So the gathering remained calm, even allowing the mayor to leave the gathering early, because he was confident in the peaceful nature of the event. 9:02 [SPEAKER_00]: But the event was far from over. 9:06 [SPEAKER_00]: As the last speaker, Reverend Samuel Fielden, wrapped up his 10-minute address, a large number of police officers arrived, in ordered everyone to disperse and clear the area. 9:20 [SPEAKER_00]: Now whether this was already planned or it happened because the policemen ordered them to clear the square is unknown, but a homemade bomb was thrown into the police range. 9:31 [SPEAKER_00]: starting chaos. 9:34 [SPEAKER_00]: Chaos which made it difficult to understand what is happening. 9:38 [SPEAKER_00]: Witnesses reported an exchange of gunfire between police and demonstrators, though it remains unclear who fired first. 9:48 [SPEAKER_00]: During this chaos, seven policemen and at least four workers lost their lives. 9:55 [SPEAKER_00]: The result of all of this was a severe anti-union crackdown, pushing back any progress made by the labor movement. 10:03 [SPEAKER_00]: There was a strong and harsh response against labor unions, and there was an intense effort to suppress or restrict their activities. 10:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Other than that, this incident also triggered a series of legal proceedings and investigations that played a role in shaping the fate of those involved. 10:24 [SPEAKER_00]: The police suspected that anarchists were behind the bombing, thinking the chaos and gunfire were part of a planned conspiracy. 10:33 [SPEAKER_00]: The challenge for them was proving it. 10:35 [SPEAKER_00]: So on May 5th, they raided the offices of the Arbidresiding, arresting its editor, August spies, and a few other. 10:46 [SPEAKER_00]: This meant Michael Swab and Adolf Fisher, whose homes were searched in the evidence found, which included something called a revenge poster, was incriminating 10:58 [SPEAKER_00]: And I can see why, because this poster literally stated, working men arm yourselves and appear in full force, the instructions were clear. 11:09 [SPEAKER_00]: Police also found a stash of bombs and bomb making materials at Louis Lings Place during a search of May 7. 11:18 [SPEAKER_00]: Ling's landlord, William C. Ligar, cooperated with the police and confirmed that Ling was a bomb maker. 11:26 [SPEAKER_00]: An associate of August, Balthazar Rao, was also suspected to be the bomber. 11:32 [SPEAKER_00]: So he was later traced to Omaha and brought back to Chicago. 11:38 [SPEAKER_00]: Among the defendants, Rudolf Schnaubelt was at first considered the bomb thrower and was arrested twice. 11:46 [SPEAKER_00]: but he fled the country by May 14th. 11:50 [SPEAKER_00]: William C. Lager, who cooperated with the prosecution, was freed, while eight others were indicted and stood trial for being accessories to the murder of Officer Digan during the incident. 12:05 [SPEAKER_00]: The trial began on June 21st, 1886, and continued until August 11th. 12:13 [SPEAKER_00]: Judge Joseph Gray oversaw the proceedings, 12:17 [SPEAKER_00]: which were clearly marked by strong biases. 12:20 [SPEAKER_00]: The defense represented by lawyers like Sigman's eyesler and William Perkins Black face difficulties during jury selection since union members and those sympathetic to socialism had to be excluded. 12:36 [SPEAKER_00]: The prosecution that by Julius Grinnell argued that the defendants, by not actively discouraging the bomber, were equally responsible as conspirators in the incident. 12:49 [SPEAKER_00]: The jury heard testimony from 118 people, including police officers and the defendants. 12:57 [SPEAKER_00]: During the case, police investigators under Captain Microshack presented evidence linking 13:07 [SPEAKER_00]: With that, on August 11th, 1886, the jury found all eight defendants guilty. 13:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Oscar Neighb received a 15-year prison sentence while the other seven were sentenced to death by hanging. 13:26 [SPEAKER_00]: Naturally this decision to sentenced the defendants to death stirred up protests around the world. 13:33 [SPEAKER_00]: and they were widely regarded as martyrs, especially in other nations. 13:39 [SPEAKER_00]: Now there were a lot of reasons for this. 13:42 [SPEAKER_00]: People around the world perceived the trial as unjust, and they were rising concerns about the fairness of the legal proceedings, and whether the accused have been given a fair chance at trial. 13:57 [SPEAKER_00]: Adding to that, the international community sympathized with the defendants as champions of workers' rights. 14:05 [SPEAKER_00]: Their harsh sentencing was seen as a response to their advocacy for improved working conditions and labor rights. 14:14 [SPEAKER_00]: More importantly, their trial was being seen as anti-immigrant. 14:19 [SPEAKER_00]: The defendants, being immigrants, were perceived as facing broader discrimination against immigrant communities, 14:28 [SPEAKER_00]: So the trial brought a great amount of international solidarity for the labor movement. 14:33 [SPEAKER_00]: Yet despite this, in various appeals, including an unsuccessful petition to the United States Supreme Court, four defendants, Engel, Fisher, Parsons, and Spies were executed on November 11, 1887. 14:51 [SPEAKER_00]: Even after this, the identity of the actual bomber remains a historical mystery, with no main perpetrator for that particular charge. 15:02 [SPEAKER_00]: No one knows who started the chaos that day. 15:06 [SPEAKER_00]: Chaos that led to the destruction of so many lives. 15:11 [SPEAKER_00]: But this matter did spark a lot of speculation, and several names were thrown into the mix as suspected bombers. 15:19 [SPEAKER_00]: First up, was Rudolph Snowbelt, an activist who was actually at the hay market when the bomb went off. 15:27 [SPEAKER_00]: The police were on the hunt and even issued an arrest bulletin, but he managed to escape the country. 15:35 [SPEAKER_00]: He sent letters from London denying any involvement, stating he never even thought of throwing a bomb. 15:43 [SPEAKER_00]: But he became a well-known suspect, and even played the role of the bomb thrower in a fictional account of the incident. 15:52 [SPEAKER_00]: Then there was George Schwab, a German shoemaker. 15:57 [SPEAKER_00]: Some people, including German anarchist Carl Nold, claimed he was the bomber. 16:04 [SPEAKER_00]: but there was no solid proof of this. 16:07 [SPEAKER_00]: Historian Paul Average also had suspicions, but noted that Swap had only arrived in Chicago a few days before the incident, which contradicted the testimony given by others, who said the bomber was a well-known local figure. 16:24 [SPEAKER_00]: Another possible suspect was George Meng, a German anarchist, and teamster, 16:34 [SPEAKER_00]: His granddaughter suggested he might have been the bomber, based on family stories she had heard. 16:41 [SPEAKER_00]: Historian Paul Average found this intriguing, and thought there was a strong possibility that Ming might have been involved. 16:50 [SPEAKER_00]: Now here's an interesting twist. 16:52 [SPEAKER_00]: Some people believe that the bomber might have been an ageer provocateur, which is someone trying to mess things up from within the anarchist movement. 17:02 [SPEAKER_00]: However, not everyone agreed on this, and some people held that there was a possibility that the bomber was a police officer trying to discredit the labor movement. 17:13 [SPEAKER_00]: Just like this, a lot of theories came forward, but nothing inclusive was found. 17:19 [SPEAKER_00]: And it didn't end there. 17:21 [SPEAKER_00]: There were other names in the mix. 17:24 [SPEAKER_00]: There was even a mysterious outsider mentioned by a saloon keeper, an Indianapolis. 17:31 [SPEAKER_00]: each name and theory brought its own set of stories and speculations, turning the incident into a sort of folklore. 17:42 [SPEAKER_00]: Other than the mystery that stayed, the trials perceived in justice also left its mark on the legal system. 17:50 [SPEAKER_00]: well-known figures, like novelist William Dean Houses, Attorney-Claire Staro, poet and player I Oscar Wilde, and others strongly criticized the trial, believing it wasn't fair. 18:06 [SPEAKER_00]: Even the governor of Illinois, who was known for being forward-thinking, stepped in. 18:12 [SPEAKER_00]: On June 26th, 1893, the governor, who was himself an immigrant of Germany, decided to pardon Fielden, Neib, and Swab, the remaining of the accused. 18:26 [SPEAKER_00]: He believed they were victims of what he called hysteria, packed juries, and a biased judge. 18:33 [SPEAKER_00]: He also pointed out that there was no clear evidence, linking the defendants to the person 18:40 [SPEAKER_00]: and he criticized the city of Chicago for not holding Pinkerton guards accountable for using lethal force against striking workers. 18:50 [SPEAKER_00]: It seemed like a reasonable decision, but it didn't set well with everyone, and it even affected his chances of getting re-elected. 18:59 [SPEAKER_00]: People had different opinions about what went down in the courtroom. 19:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Honestly, the intense feelings of fear and anger surrounding the trial made real justice nearly impossible. 19:13 [SPEAKER_00]: Now even after the incident and the trial, the chaos on police repression, the Chicago wage earners still didn't back down. 19:23 [SPEAKER_00]: They joined forces creating a united front on the political field. 19:28 [SPEAKER_00]: where various groups from conservatives, to radicals, socialists, to anarchists, stood together. 19:36 [SPEAKER_00]: This newfound unity would help the workers regain their resilience and determination for the cause they had worked towards initially. 19:45 [SPEAKER_00]: Trade union activities continue to grow, leading to the establishment of the Labor Party of Chicago in 1886. 19:55 [SPEAKER_00]: The Knights of Labor doubled its membership by the fall of 1886. 19:58 [SPEAKER_00]: So on Labor Day or May 1st, Chicago workers took the lead and parades across the country. 20:09 [SPEAKER_00]: The push for an eight-hour work day gained momentum. 20:13 [SPEAKER_00]: The American Federation of Labor decided to campaign for a shorter work day, at its convention in 1888. 20:22 [SPEAKER_00]: By May 1st, 1890, workers agreed to strike for an 8-hour work day. 20:28 [SPEAKER_00]: This was the decision that marked the origins of international workers' day, also known as May Day. 20:38 [SPEAKER_00]: Now in 1889, AFL President, Samuel Gompers, informed the world's socialists about their plans and proposed an international fight for a universal eight-hour work day. 20:53 [SPEAKER_00]: The second international in response adopted May 1st, 1890 as the date for a global demonstration. 21:02 [SPEAKER_00]: this decision had a dual purpose. 21:05 [SPEAKER_00]: It addressed the labor issue, and served as a way to honor the memory of the hay market martyrs, and others killed in the 1886 tribes. 21:16 [SPEAKER_00]: With that, the first international workers day held on May 1st, 1890, was a massive success. 21:25 [SPEAKER_00]: Newspapers around the world covered the event, and it became an annual commemoration from that point on. 21:33 [SPEAKER_00]: The association of Mayday and the Haymarket Martyrs remains strong in many places, including Mexico, where it is remembered as a day of fiesta's. 21:46 [SPEAKER_00]: So in a sense, the Haymarket Affair became a catalyst for solidarity with which this day is celebrated around the world. 21:55 [SPEAKER_00]: It basically paved the way for the modern day celebration of Mayday. 22:00 [SPEAKER_00]: You're probably wondering why Mayday isn't really celebrated in the US. 22:06 [SPEAKER_00]: Here we honor the labor movement on Labor Day, in September. 22:10 [SPEAKER_00]: The reason is because President Grover Cleveland did not want Americans to commemorate the Hamarket Affair, and fear it would strengthen socialist movements. 22:22 [SPEAKER_00]: Still, in places like Minneapolis, there is a Mayday market, a festival. 22:31 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's it for today's episode. 22:34 [SPEAKER_00]: The takeaway here is that Mayday is more than just a day off. 22:39 [SPEAKER_00]: It's a reminder of the collective strength of workers who struggled for a fair and just society. 22:46 [SPEAKER_00]: and from their struggle, he marked typical eight-hour work day, allowing most, if not all of us, some semblance of work-life balance. 22:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening to hometown history, and be sure to follow along for more interesting stories in the past.
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