United States 1919

Synopsis

The Seattle strike of 1919 was the first large-scale general strike in the United States. Although sparked by wage grievances of shipyard workers, the strike quickly grew into a larger showdown between the city's American Federation of Labor (AFL) movement and local politicians, business interests, and federal war agencies, all of whom saw it as a crucial test of the power that organized labor would wield in the wake of World War I. For four days during the strike, labor reigned. Some 65,000 workers walked off their jobs. Strikers served food, supplied hospitals, and kept peace in the streets with astonishing organization and efficiency. Under pressure from the mayor, federal troops, and unsupportive AFL internationals, however, the walkout collapsed.

Striking workers, Seattle General Strike, Seattle, Washington, 1919. © Bettmann/Corbis. Reproduced by permission.

The strike left an ambivalent legacy. The failure of such a massive...