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The Haymarket Affair's impact at the national level

Introduction

First of May is practiced in the whole world as a day in favor of reducing working hours and increasing pay. If we go back in history, we find an event associated close to this date that can never be forgotten. The unfortunate killing of police officials, and protestors in the name of resistance. Furthermore, the legal murders of 4 so called, convicts at that time, is of great sorrow, and black history.

Discussion

The Haymarket affair is the aftermath of a bombing on a labor demonstration at Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886. Workers were on strike, in support of 8-hour work day. They were all peaceful, but suddenly an unidentified man came from the bloom and threw dynamite on the police as they acted to disperse the public meeting. The bomb blast and firing resulted in 7 police officers casualties and four civilians life were lost while many remaining injured.

The legal proceeding of this unfortunate incident resulted in convicting 8 anarchist of conspiracy although none of these were conceded to throw the bomb at police. Seven of these convicts got sentenced to death, while the remaining one was given punishment of 15 years in prison. Illinois Governor Richard J. Oglesby commuted the death sentence of two prisoners into a life sentence. While one of the convicts committed suicide. The remaining four were hanged on 11th November, 1887. The next governor of Illinois John Peter Altgeldpardoned the others in prison.

After the world war, the United States of America saw a rapid growth in the industrial production. The major industrial center, Chicago, was home to tens of thousands of German and Bohemian immigrants. These immigrants were employed at very low wages of up to, $1.5 for the whole days' work. There were voices raised as to improve the working conditions for the labor (Barrett, James, 2012, n.d.). Employers, instead paying attention to the concern of these people showed violence in returns (Moberg, David, 2012, n.d.).

During the years when U.S.A. saw its economic slowdown, there were two very successful labor organizing. One was the socialist, and the other was Anarchist labor organization. In Chicago, these several thousands of workers centered about German language. Some of these anarchists were armed and had intentions of a military nature (Boudreau, 2005, 319). Their belief was that if they conduct a successful operation against the police force, this will result in massive support of workers, and it will be the basis of social economy. Agitation by labor activists were because of longer working hours, they wanted more pay and less hours, so their life standards get somewhat improved. However, they became intense during the time of 1883-1886, severe economic depression. These were the early signs of the agitations which government should have anticipated before the time. But, unfortunately, this has not been the case.

On the day 4 of May 1886, when police ordered the crowd of peaceful demonstrators to disperse, one ...