Table of Contents
What happened in the coal strike of 1902?
The coal strike of 1902. The strike of 1900 was the prelude to a larger drama–the great anthracite coal strike of 1902. Restless miners demanded more pay and shorter hours, while the mine operators complained that profits were low, and that the union destroyed discipline.
What did Roosevelt say about strikes in the 1902 election?
The draft of his statement to the coal operators and union leaders at the temporary White House on October 3, 1902, stated that “no precedent of interference in strikes will be created.” But Roosevelt knew he was breaking new ground, and he deleted this sentence from his final speech.
What were the problems faced by coal miners during the Industrial Revolution?
Rivalry for control of the industry led to over expansion, violent business fluctuations, and eventually control by a few large independent mine owners, coal railroads, and bankers. For miners the work was hard, intermittent, and hazardous. To keep wages low, operators flooded the coalfields with immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.
Did McKinley want the Anthracite Strike to interfere with his reelection?
Neither Morgan, the operators, Hanna, nor McKinley wanted the strike to interfere with McKinley’s reelection. The anthracite operators viewed the events as a defeat, and one that was dictated to them by political motivations.
Why did Theodore Roosevelt want to settle the coal strike?
President Theodore Roosevelt initially invited the coal miners’ union representatives and the mine owners to meet to settle the Coal Strike of 1902 because the nation needed coal to provide heat in the coming winter.
What happened on May 12 1902?
The early morning whistles blew across Pennsylvania’s coal country on May 12, 1902. But 147,000 men and boys didn’t heed the summons to the mines. On that Monday they wouldn’t dig out the anthracite coal, or cart it above ground, or break it into pieces suitable for the homes, offices, factories, and railroads that depended on it.