The Homestead Strike

Themes: Immigration, Labor, Organizing, Social Class

The Pinkerton men leaving the barges after the surrender. Harper’s Weekly, July 16,1892. Source: WikiCommons

Students are often skeptical about the possibility of people genuinely working together when at least their short-term interests appear in conflict. The Homestead Strike is a historical test case that may challenge their skepticism. In this widely used lesson, students become participants in one of the most famous strikes in U.S. history, the 1892 strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania. They begin to explore some of the themes that are important in understanding the relationship between workers, owners, and government, after the 19th century: different types of unions; the role of government intervention; new capital formations that stimulated industry-wide organization among workers.

Classroom Stories

Battle of Homestead today- students’ favorite parts seem to be when the tugboat Little Bill pulls the Pinkertons up the river and of course Berkman’s hapless assassination attempt. Such a great activity from @ZinnEdProject pic.twitter.com/QEevNyR8ud

— Amelia E Serafine (@AmeliaESerafine) January 31, 2019