Introduction
In this world, most people do not believe that violence and cruelty can bring about change for the better. However, history is full of examples of how humans chose war and uprisings to improve their lives. Starting to feel strong and domineering, people are not afraid to hurt others. One such event was the Homestead Strike that is also known as the Homestead riot. The purpose of this paper is to discuss why the Homestead Strike turned violent.
About the Riot
Homestead Strike happened on July 6, 1892, in Homestead, Pennsylvania. It was a rather violent and cruel labor dispute between the management and a number of workers of the Carnegie Steel Company. The reason for the strike was the expired union contract and the wage decrease (Reed 2019). The employees were exhausted; they needed and asked for money since they worked really hard for almost nothing. Tired of waiting, they started a strike that was not meant to become violent.
Management’s Response
To replace the strikers, the company planned to bring in new workers instead of increasing wages for the previous ones. They refused to meet the striker’s demands and did not care to end the riot peacefully. Moreover, the management hired armed guards who were brought to protect the new people and the factory from the strikers (Reed 2019). Soon after the strike started, a gun battle happened between the hired guards and the striking people. Both strikers and guards were injured, and ten of them were killed.
Why the Strike Became Violent
It is possible to suggest that the strikers did not intend to make their riot violent and hurt anyone. They tried to get the money they deserved, and the only way they saw was by starting a strike (Reed 2019). However, the hired guards were armed, and this fact might have made the event violent: the workers realized the seriousness of the situation or probably got attacked by the guards and had to protect themselves.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that there are situations that may seem to require people to start fighting for their rights or wellbeing. However, the fight does not always have to be fierce, and there are other ways to get justice. It can be assumed that the workers did not want to harm other people but considered the strike their only chance to defend their rights.
Reference
Reed, Patrick. 2019. “The Homestead Strike.” YouTube video, 05:36. 2020. Web.