“What scares them most, is that NOTHING HAPPENS! They are ready for DISTURBANCES. They have machine guns, and soldiers, but this SMILING SILENCE is uncanny” – Anise, 1919 (Seattle Union Record). The Seattle strike took place during a time of upheaval and crisis throughout the world. There had been a revolution in Russia, followed by revolts in Germany, Hungary, and several other European countries. It was widely believed that workers in these countries were overthrowing capitalism and taking over management of production for themselves. The Russian Revolution was supported by large numbers of workers in the U.S. In late 1919, longshoremen in both Seattle and San Francisco refused to load arms and munitions destined for Admiral Kolchak, leader of the counterrevolution in Siberia. In Seattle, they beat up the scabs who tried to load them onto the government-chartered ship. In the United States, there was also widespread labour turmoil. Vastly expanded production for World War I and the cut-off of immigration made labour scarce and had placed workers in a powerful position. By 1919 more workers in the city were organised in unions than ever before. Seattle union membership had …show more content…
There was, as the strikers liked to remark, “not even a fist-fight.”. Although, as soon as the strike had ended, law enforcement had gone to work attempting to find the leaders of the revolt. The IWW Headquarters was raided and 39 members were arrested as “ringleaders of anarchy.” Law enforcement stationed a plainclothesman in the office of the secretary to arrest all members of the IWW as they came in to pay their dues. Most of the members were soon released, only a few of the more prominent being held. Along with the raid, Federal agents also closed the Union Record, the city’s labour owned daily newspaper and arrested multiple of its staff. Various union leaders were also arrested and charged with