TERRE HAUTE —
One unhappy byproduct of the Industrial Age was the growing discontent of its industrial workers, who constantly agitated for better pay and more humane working conditions.
In America, for example, a strike for an eight-hour work day on May 1, 1886, drew 350,000 workers nationwide, including some 40,000 strikers in Chicago. While the Chicago strike ultimately ended peacefully, two days later Chicago police fired on picketers outside of a McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. plant, killing two and wounding several.
Radical political movements were another byproduct of the Industrial Age, including Socialists and Anarchists who denounced Capitalism as human exploitation, and on May 4, at Chicago’s Haymarket Square, numerous Socialists and Anarchists held a rally to protest the violence at the McCormick plant.
This rally also was peaceful until the 300 Chicago police observing it were ordered to break it up, but just at that moment a huge bomb exploded, rocking Haymarket Square, killing police officer Mathias Degan and wounding several others.
In a panic, the police began firing indiscriminately, killing several protestors and, it was determined later, mistakenly killing fellow officers.
It was dubbed “The Haymarket Square Massacre,” and in its wake eight of the protest organizers were arrested and tried for Officer Degan’s murder. Unsurprisingly, all eight were identified as Socialists and Anarchists, and six of the eight were immigrants.
Indeed, a third byproduct of the Industrial Age was pervasive animosity toward foreign-born “agitators” and “radicals,” as evidenced by the sham trial the eight defendants underwent. The presiding judge said at the outset he considered the defendants guilty. The jury comprised business owners and professionals — hardly “peers” of the defendants — and many jurists openly admitted they too were prejudiced against the defendants. One jury member was related to one of the slain policemen.
Meanwhile, the prosecution admitted it had no evidence connecting the defendants to the bombing. Instead it accused them of spreading dangerous ideas and inciting violence, and after deliberating just three hours the jury found all eight defendants guilty. Seven were sentenced to death and one to 15 years in prison, and although one defendant committed suicide and two others had their sentence commuted to life in prison, the remaining four were executed.
Six years later Illinois Governor John Altgeld pardoned the three defendants still in prison, having concluded that all eight defendants were innocent. He believed his pardon would cost him his political career and he was right.
Subsequently, nations around the world made May 1 — “May Day” — the annual commemoration of the international labor movement in honor of those events that occurred that May, in Chicago, in 1886. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one country that does not officially observe “May Day” is the United States.
Bruce G. Kauffmann’s e-mail address is bruce@historylessons.net.
Schools
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: The Haymarket Square Massacre
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Bruce’s History Lessons: Morse’s telegraph and its impact as a ‘game changer’
This week (May 24) in 1844, Professor Samuel F.B. Morse sat in the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., surrounded by members of Congress, who had come to witness history.
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High schoolers attend automotive, welding skills competitions
Area high school students put their skills to the test at the annual Automotive Skills and Welding Skills competitions on April 18 at Ivy Tech Community College—Wabash Valley.
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Riverton Parke presents concert, music awards
The Riverton Parke Jr.-Sr. High School Music Department presented its annual Spring Concert on May 13 in the school gymnasium.
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Turkey Run senior awards and honors
Turkey Run High School seniors were honored at an awards program May 13. Scholarships and departmental and activity awards were presented.
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South earns national yearbook design honor
The Terre Haute South yearbook, Uaxactun, has been recognized for excellence and featured in the 2013 Gotcha Covered Look Book, Volume 11 celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and coverage.
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Vincennes University Dean’s List
The Vincennes University Dean’s List for Spring 2013 includes students from the Vincennes campus, Jasper campus, Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis, military bases, and other extended sites.
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4 more honored as Four Star Schools
In addition to the three Vigo County schools (Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Dixie Bee Elementary and Fayette Elementary schools) that were announced earlier, four more Wabash Valley schools were recognized as Indiana Four Star Schools.
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Bruce’s history lessons: Truman’s decision to recognize Israel
This week (May 14) in 1948, at the direction of President Harry Truman, the United States recognized the existence of the newly formed state of Israel, which had declared independence earlier that day. It was, Truman later stated, among the most important decisions of his presidency.
- Reunion listings: May 16, 2013
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Chances and Services for Youth to participate in food program
The Chances and Services for Youth recently announced plans to participate in the Summer Food Service Program.
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South Latin students compete at convention
Terre Haute South Vigo High School Latin students competed with other Indiana schools at the recent state convention at ISU.
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Southwest Parke School Corp. receives eLearning grant
Southwest Parke Community School Corp. has received an Imagining and Creating eLearning grant for the 2013-2014 school year through the Indiana Department of Education.
- Newsmakers: May 16, 2013
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Otter Creek competes in regional Academic Super Bowl
The Otter Creek Academic Super Bowl teams competed in the regional Academic Super Bowl competition on April 27 at Sarah Scott Middle School.
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Riverton Parke FFA teams compete at April 16 contest
Two Riverton Parke FFA Parliamentary Procedure Teams competed at the section competition for the Parliamentary Procedure Demonstration Contest on April 16 at the Indiana FFA Center in Trafalgar.
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Parks offering summer day camp
The Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting registrations for its summer day camp.
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State recognizes counties for improving college success
Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers recognized 26 Indiana counties for working to increase the percentage of Hoosiers with education beyond high school. The counties are members of Indiana’s College Success Coalition, a statewide network focused on improving college access and success.
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College Challenge program earns accreditation
Indiana State University’s College Challenge program for high school students has earned initial accreditation from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships.
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ISP offers youth an up close look at law enforcement
Most television viewers have seen at least part of a CSI or Law and Order episode. These shows seem to have spurred a new interest in law enforcement and forensics. For more than 40 years the Indiana State Police have been giving young people an up close look at law enforcement through its youth camps program.
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Goals, Pride & Achievements: May 16, 2013
Alyssa A. Barnes of Clinton graduated from Purdue University on Sunday.
She has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, with a minor in psychology. -
Woodrow Wilson students collect funds for animals
The leadership team from Woodrow Wilson Middle School sponsored a week of giving to collect funds and supplies for the Terre Haute Humane shelter.
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Riverton Parke academic bowl team finishes strong
The Riverton Parke English academic bowl team finished as runner-up at the state finals competition on May 4 at Purdue University, and the social studies team swept through all of its last eight questions without a miss to finish third in the contest.
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Turkey Run High School names top 2013 students
Kaleigh Basan has been named valedictorian and Jeff Woods and Kendall Davies are co-salutatorians for the Turkey Run High School Class of 2013.
Graduation ceremonies will be in the high school gymnasium at 11 a.m. May 25 with 36 students receiving their diplomas. -
Bruce’s history lessons: Spring Cleaning 2013
Time for my annual “Spring Cleaning” column, in which I address reader issues and answer “Frequently Asked Questions.”
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Moats gets ISU Rankin Award
Indiana State University has honored Katelynn Moats of Terre Haute with the Rankin Memorial Distinguished Senior Award in recognition of her contributions to the betterment of the university.
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Turkey Run to honor seniors
Turkey Run High School will hold its senior awards and recognition program at 7 p.m. Monday in the ELC room. A reception will be held from 6 to 7 p.m.
The program for freshmen to juniors will be held at 1:32 p.m. May 16 in the high school gymnasium. -
Honey Creek math club earns gold status
Honey Creek Middle School has received Gold Level Status as a participant of the 2013 MATHCOUNTS Club.
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Riverton Parke students bring home art awards
Students from 15 schools in west central Indiana competed in the 34th annual d’Arlier Trust Spring Art Show on April 19-25 in Veedersburg. Four Riverton Parke High School students won a total of nine awards in six of the show’s 20 categories.
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Parke Adult Tutoring Service awards mini-grant
The Parke Adult Tutoring Service has awarded a mini-grant of $270 to Riverton Parke English teacher Mike Lunsford to purchase reading materials for his students.
- Vigo County School Corp. Honor Roll — Middle School, Second Grading Period
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