August 8 - Murdered for Standing Up

Labor History in 2:00 · Aug 8, 2026 · 1m

On this day in Labor History the year was 1850.

That was the day that two tailors who were out on strike in New York City were killed in a confrontation with the police.

It is thought they were the first workers to die while participating in a strike in the United States.

They certainly would not be the last.

The United States has one of the bloodiest labor histories of any industrial nation.

It is estimated that at least 700 people have lost their lives to violence during a strike.

The vast majority of those slain were workers.

Some of the most-bloody conflicts included the Great Upheaval of…