The Seattle General Strike Project is a multimedia initiative to chronicle the

Seattle General Strike The Seattle General Strike of 1919 was a five-day general work stoppage by more than 65,000 workers in the city of Seattle, Washington from February 6 to 11. Dissatisfied workers in several unions began the strike to gain higher wages, after two ...

. In February 1919, what began as a wage dispute in the city’s shipyard expanded into a week-long

walkout In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an ...

involving more than 50,000 workers that heralded a wave of post-war labor unrest and America’s first red scare. The website maintained by the project is one of the foremost collections of primary and academic material on the

general strike A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...

, and is part of the

Pacific Northwest Labor and Civil Rights History Projects The Pacific Northwest Labor and Civil Rights History Projects are a series of multimedia public history initiatives. The projects cover a range of themes and subjects in the Northwest and Seattle, with a particular focus on working people and their ...

program at the University of Washington.

Content

The site is divided into eight sections including an introductory slideshow, photographs, video, oral histories, maps, historical newspaper articles, documents and research reports. The material includes previously unavailable oral histories conducted in 1977 with major participants including

David Beck David Beck (or Beek; May 25, 1621December 20, 1656), was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter. Biography Beck was born in Delft, and was named after his uncle, a well-known poet from Arnhem.International Brotherhood of Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the un ...

. It also includes an excerpt from a biographical film of

Anna Louise Strong Anna Louise Strong (November 24, 1885 – March 29, 1970) was an American journalist and activist, best known for her reporting on and support for communist movements in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.Archives West,Anna Loui ...

, a key strike leader and journalist who became a key figure in the American Left through the 1960s, which shows the only known footage of the strike. In addition to an extensive narrative of the conflict written by Strong and other leaders, the site includes original research reports on the role of Mayor Ole Hanson, the

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines genera ...

and the press, among a wide range other topics. Many of these essays also examine Seattle labor history in the years prior to the strike, exploring the climate that precipitated the city shutdown. Additionally, the site showcases a collection of rare photographs and pamphlets from the strike, video of a conference commemorating the 90th anniversary of the strike and curriculum for Washington State history teachers.

References

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External links

Seattle General Strike Project

Strikes! Labor History Encyclopedia for the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest Labor and Civil Rights History Projects
1919 labor disputes and strikes General strikes in the United States History of Seattle Labor disputes in Washington (state) University of Washington projects