Commentary On The Documentary The Great Upheaval

According to the account of the documentary “The Great Upheaval”, began in Martinsburg West Virginia. It was a movement that impacted labor relationship in America. The year was 1887, when the working people decided that they had enough. The workers had reached their breaking point. After the Civil war, life as they had knew it was no longer the same. There were fewer people who were self-employed or owned their own land, where they grew, picked and harvested crops. The people now depended on others for employment. They worked long hours, in unhealthy conditions, for little pay. When the Baltimore and the Ohio railroad cut employees’ wages yet another 10%, in eight months; it was about all the workers could take. This caused a revolt; the workers realized that they had to stand up against such injustice. They choose not to report to work and other workers refuse to replace them.

(ushistroy.org) The Workers and the town people came together in a show of support against employers. It was a time of solidarity among workers, when it did not matter what job you did. The people came together for a common cause, they wanted their employer to be fair and treat them with dignity. The railroad employers’ action was also a threat to their income; they knew what affected one would soon affect all. Indirectly this fight for justice concerned them and their families as well. So they banded together for they realized that in number there is strength. “More than 100,000 workers went on strike shutting down nearly half of the nation’s rail system”.