Today in labor history July 26: Chicago, 30 workers killed by federal troops, more than 100 wounded

July 26

In Chicago, 30 workers killed by federal troops, more than 100 wounded at the “Battle of the Viaduct” during the Great Railroad Strike - 1877


July 26, 1894 - President Grover Cleveland appointed a United States Strike Committee to inquire into the causes of the Pullman strike and the subsequent walkout by the American Railway Union. Four months later, the commission issued its report, absolving the strikers and blaming Pullman and the railroads for the conflict.

Read more about the Pullman strike at http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/pullman.htm and http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1029.html

Battle of Mucklow, W.Va. in coal strike - 1912

President Truman issues Executive Order 9981, directing equality of opportunity in armed forces - 1948


The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) took effect today. It requires employers to offer reasonable accommodations to qualified disabled employees and bans discrimination against such workers - 1992

but who defeated Harrison in 1892?

is he the only president to do that? I can't think of another.

And there's another fact about Harrison and the election of 1888 that was the first of it's kind. The only other incident of this kind in a presidential election was in 2000. Any guesses? We talked about it at the time in 2000.

Quincy Adams vs. Jackson, Harrison vs. Cleveland, Hayes vs. Tilden.

And yes, Cleveland is the only person to serve two non-consecutive terms.