Pullman Strike of 1894
The Pullman strike of 1894 was caused due to George Pullman reducing his workers wages. George Pullman’s workers lived on one of his properties, and paid rent. Even though their wages were lowered, their rents were not. This made it much easier for them to rise up for rationality. To make matters worse, these workers were not part of a union, so Eugene Debs of American Railway Union(ARU) intervened on their behalf. In order to win against Pullman, Debs called for a major boycott. But, Debs did not succeed, because eventually, the Army was called in, because of the destruction of trains. Debs was ultimately placed in prison and the ARU dissolved.
The significance to our class discussion is that even though the workers knew they would be overwhelmed, they did not give up. Some were immigrants, and some were people of color, which made it even a more delicate dilemma. Standing up for what is right and just, is not always easy. At times you hear people say they would have done this or that, but when the “you know what” hits the fan, they disappear.
The main thing to remember is that, having lots of money helps to solve issues, but it does not always take care of everything. Being poor and powerless is a problem; save for, the inner will fashioned by God to always fight injustice. It takes time, but the honorable will always beat the unjust, with pure resilience and guts.
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