The Ludlow Massacre

Did you ever hear of the Ludlow Massacre?

I was zooming down I-25 in Colorado and spied a sign advertising a memorial to this massacre.  How could a piece of history like this have gone unnoticed by someone so in love with historical trivia?  Well, because no one talks about it ... for a reason .....

In the days of robber barrons whom believed they owned your soul, you worked 12 hour days, 6 days a week, for pennies an hour, then were forced to live in corporate towns for inflated rents, shop at corporate food stores and if they calculated it righ ... you owed them money at the end of the month!  No lie!

The miners were starving and exhausted working in the Southern Colorado coal mines - and they threatened to strike.  Some were a little more violent.  And the mine owner - John Rockefeller, had them thrown out of the corporate housing with no supplies, food, anything!  Colorado Aprils are not noted for their warmth.

They managed to use some farm land near by to build a shanty town and Rockefeller exploded!

He had the Colorado Governor call up the National Guard, whom built an outpost on a low hill over looking the tent city.  Rockefeller also hired a private detective company to build a rail based armored car to be driven along the rail tracks twice a day and blanket the camp with heavy machine gun fire.  So, the camp was shot to pieces twice daily.

They did have peace on Easter Sunday, 1914 - followed by sports.
Even the Army watched.

But, Monday that was to change.  Instead of shooting randomly, the order was given to aim at the people, not the tents.  Needless to say ... it was a massacre.

Twenty-eight women and children killed outright.  And the nation was angered!
In Colorado of 100 years ago it is one thing to kill striking Irish miners, they were universally hated for being Irish, foreigners, talking funny, drunkards and taking American jobs!  But, women were a scarce commodity ...  You harmed any woman, even an Indian one, and you will be hunted down!

It would be a few years until the miners would be able to form unions the right to strike peacefully.  The rest of nation would follow in their heels.  The workers were able to demand humane treatment and compensation.

So, today is a fine time to remember you enjoy life, because someone else died on your behalf in America's labor struggle.  Unless you like the idea of Corporate slavery ....