Haymarket Riot and Labor Movement

The Haymarket Square Riot of 1886 was rooted in labor unrest post-Civil War, with workers demanding better conditions and shorter workdays. Radical voices in the labor movement called for more drastic changes. On May 3, 1886, a clash at the McCormick Reaper plant led to a rally at Haymarket Square, where a bomb was thrown, killing seven police officers. Eight men were arrested and convicted despite insufficient evidence, with four executed in 1887. The event highlighted the struggle between capital and labor, influencing future labor movements and becoming a symbol of the fight for fair labor practices.

What was a major concern for American laborers in the decades following the Civil War?

• The expansion of the railroad system

• The influence of European politics

• The length of the workday and working conditions

• The rise of industrial technology

What event on May 3rd, 1886, escalated tensions leading to the Haymarket Square Riot?

• A speech by a labor leader in New York

• A police confrontation at the McCormick Reaper plant

• A protest at a government building

• A strike at a textile factory

Who made an inflammatory statement that prompted police action during the Haymarket rally?

• Albert Parsons

• August Spies

• Samuel Felden

• George Engel

What was the immediate consequence of the bomb explosion at the Haymarket rally?

• The arrest of all rally participants

• The end of the labor movement

• The death of seven police officers

• The destruction of the rally stage

How many men were eventually arrested and put on trial following the Haymarket Riot?

• Seven

• Six

• Eight

• Five

What happened to the four men who were executed in 1887?

• They became symbols of the struggle between capital and labor

• They were pardoned posthumously

• They were forgotten by history

• They were later found innocent

What was the public reaction to the trial and conviction of the Haymarket defendants?

• Public backlash against the unfair treatment

• Celebration of the executions

• Indifference to the outcome

• Widespread support for the verdict

What did the Red Guards, mentioned in the context of the Haymarket Riot, primarily do?

• Engage in terroristic activities

• Promote peaceful protests

• Support government policies

• Organize labor unions

Which political ideology was associated with the Red Guards?

• Anarchism

• Capitalism

• Socialism

• Communism

What broader impact did the Haymarket Square Riot have on the labor movement?

• It ended the labor movement

• It led to the immediate improvement of working conditions

• It caused a decline in labor union membership

• It became a symbol of the fight for fair labor practices