The Great Railroad Strike started on July 17, 1877 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Employers cut pay for workers because of the debt the country was in from fighting in the Civil War. Many workers did not support this. Railroad companies stopped working and started striking. Workers stopped all trains and blocked any traffic from coming to the stations. Federal troops were called in to stop the strike, but they were unsuccessful. The strike spread to Baltimore, Maryland. This went from peaceful to violent. Weapons were brought in and guns were fired into the crowds. People were throwing stones at the troops. Several people were killed and workers started terminating the tracks. The violence and destruction became even worse in Pennsylvania.
