How Successful Was The Haymarket Riot In The 1800s

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Haymarket Riot There have been many strikes and movements for better working conditions as well as many unions formed throughout history. These events took place because of people who were not afraid to stand up and fight for what they believed in and the rights they deserved as Americans. One example of this was the Haymarket Riot which took place on May 4, 1886 this riot played a key role in the movement in better working conditions and unions. The Haymarket Riot was a riot that took place at Haymarket Square in Chicago. The takeaways from this event are the background of the riot, what the events of the riot were, and the aftermath. America in the 1880’s was known for workers going on strikes due to the fact that working conditions were horrible, dangerous, and people were just not being paid enough to do these jobs. For example this is just some of the examples of how worker reacted in the 1880 due to the working conditions. “The American labor movement during this time also included a radical …show more content…

In August 1886, eight men, labeled as anarchists, were convicted in a sensational and controversial trial in which the jury was considered to be biased and no solid evidence was presented linking the defendants to the bombing. Judge Joseph E. Gary imposed the death sentence on seven of the men, and the eighth was sentenced to 15 years in prison. On November 11, 1887, four of the men were hanged. Of the additional three who were sentenced to death, one committed suicide on the eve of his execution and the other two had their death sentences commuted to life in prison by Illinois Governor Richard J. Oglesby. The governor was reacting to widespread public questioning of their guilt, which later led his successor, Governor John P. Altgeld, to pardon the three activists still living in 1893 (Haymarket Square

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