The 1877 Great Railroad Strike is often said to mark the beginning of the labor movement in the US. How do the two primary source documents frame the debate between management and labor? What reasoning does the President of the B&O give for cutting wages? How does he expect his employees to react to the news of a pay cut? What does Peter H. Clark argue about the economic and political power of employers in relation to that of their employees?

The 1877 Great Railroad Strike is often said to mark the beginning of the labor movement in the US. How do the two primary source documents frame the debate between management and labor? What reasoning does the President of the B&O give for cutting wages? How does he expect his employees to react to the news of a pay cut? What does Peter H. Clark argue about the economic and political power of employers in relation to that of their employees?