Battle of the Viaduct (1877)

Thu Jul 26, 1877

Image

Image: Violence in Chicago depicted on the August 11th, 1877 cover of Frank Leslie’s “Illustrated Newspaper” [Wikipedia]

The Chicago Railroad Strike of 1877 was a series of work stoppages and civil unrest in Illinois which culminated in a crowd of more than 10,000 protesters battling with federal troops on this day that year. The episode of labor unrest was part of the broader, national strikes and rioting of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

On July 24th and 25th, various industries began to go on strike, and Chicago’s local government prepared for unrest as other cities across the nation grappled with general strikes and rioting.

Large crowds, up to 25,000 people, began to gather and demand various labor reforms. On July 26th, 1877, violent clashes between protesters and police reached a fever pitch in the “Battle of the Viaduct”, where cops and members of the crowd exchanged gunfire.

By that evening, the police had successfully dispersed crowds throughout the city. 14 to 30 rioters were dead or dying, while between 35 to 100 civilians and 9 to 13 policemen were wounded.