The Haymarket Square Riot Part II

The Fair Standards Act

The Role of the Police Force

Finally, in 1938, fifty-two years after the Haymarket riot, workdays in the United States were legally made eight hours by the Fair Labor Standards Act. This standard in labor practices and worker safety is still in practice today. No state or federal employer is allowed to demand an hourly worker to work more than eight hours because of this law. Those workers that agree to work "overtime" beyond the 40 hour work week are paid at 1 and 1/2 times their hourly wage for every hour worked.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The police were there before the bomb went off to protect the strikebreakers from the protesters that were speaking against the wealthy and powerful businessmen that were trampling on the rights of the worker. Demanding long working hours in unsafe working facilities, the unions were trying to protect the workers' safety and right to job protection. In previous episodes of labor unrest, the police and other security firms were being paid for by those same business owners.

Lack of Evidence/Possible Police Corruption

No evidence was ever found that the eight men arrested were connected to the bomb. It was discovered years later after 5 of the men were put to death that the investigation conducted by the police department made cash bribes or jobs were offered to anyone that would testify against the 8 men. Chicago's police department had a long history of brutality against protesters of any kind. The bad reputation was a factor in enabling the lawyer-trained governor that granted the pardons of the remaining men in prison.

Bad Reputation

Oscar Neebe-Socialist

Samuel Fielden

Born in New York and raised in Germany, Oscar Neebe came to Chicago in 1875. A declared communist, Neebe organized labor demonstrations and anarchist social events in the Chicago area.

An avid reader, Neebe once wrote, "We socialists are great believers that the laboring men should educate themselves." Neebe did not attend the Haymarket rally. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In his autobiography, Neebe wrote of his suspicion that a brewing company whose workers he had organized paid officials to secure his conviction. Governor Altgeld pardoned and released Neebe in 1893, after he had served seven years of his sentence.

Socialist

Samuel Fielden was born in England and settled in Chicago in 1871. He joined the International Working People's Association in 1884 and became a popular speaker, using orating skills he had developed in the Methodist church. Fielden was the final speaker at the Haymarket Rally. When Police Captain Bonfield advanced with his troops to bring an end to the rally, Fielden briefly protested before he stepped down from the makeshift stage. At the same time, the bomb was thrown. Fielden was wounded in the knee during the chaos that followed. He was arrested and sentenced to death. Following an appeal for clemency, Governor Oglesby reduced the sentence to life in prison. In 1893 Governor Altgeld absolved Fielden and he was released.

Released by Oglesby

John Peter Altgeld

Altgeld was a Union veteran at 16 years old when he returned he became a school teacher at a local high school where he fell in love with a fellow teacher, Emma Ford. The two wanted to marry but Emma's father, a wealthy businessman would not allow her to marry John. This started John on a crusade against the wealthy powerful that controlled the lives of the poor. John became a lawyer, joined the Democratic Party, became very wealthy on his own, returned to Ohio and married Emma Ford. John was sympathetic to the socialist movement in the labor movement. Eventually returning to Illinois and with the help of the socialists became governor of Illinois in 1892.

Crusader for the Working Poor

Michael Schwab-Escapes Execution

Michael Schwab was born in Germany and came to Chicago in 1881 or 1882. He once wrote, "Violence is one thing and Anarchy is another... we advocated the use of violence against violence, but against violence only, as a necessary means of defense."

Schwab attended the Haymarket rally briefly, but left to speak at another rally. Still, he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. He served seven years before Governor John Peter Altgeld commuted his sentence in 1893.

Escaped Execution

The Haymarket Square Riot Part II

Mr. Wyatt's Social Studies Class