Published: July 31, 2023
On this day in 1898, an armed conflict broke out between a small band of striking coal miners in Virden, Illinois and the armed security guards sent by the Chicago Virden Coal Company to restart production with scab workers. By the end of the day, eight miners lay dead and more than thirty were wounded. For most historians, the defiance of union coal miners at the Virden Massacre marked the turning point in the labor movement, impacting the lives of untold thousands of laborers over the next century. Coal Miner's Day used to be celebrated on this date.
Resources
- The Battle of Virden - Jeff Biggers, Zinn Education Project
- Mother Jones Is Still Calling Out Deadbeat Coal Barons (on Coal Miner's Day) - Jeff Biggers, Huffington Post
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