#coalfieldstrikes

[kheelcenter]

Before Earth Day was a holiday, a prominent day on April 20th in the spring of 1914, about 1200 striking United Mine Workers of America members and their families were living in a tent camp 18 miles north of Trinidad, Colorado. They, like many today, went on strike for higher wages and better working conditions against Colorado Fuel and Iron Company owned in majority by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Both sides were armed.On April 20th, after a day-long battle by the Colorado In the spring of 1914, about 1200 striking United Mine Workers of America members and their families were living in a tent camp 18 miles north of Trinidad, Colorado. On strike for higher wages and better working conditions against Colorado Fuel and Iron Company owned in majority by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.,  both sides were armed. On April 20th, after a day-long battle by the Colorado National Guard and camp guards from the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, about 24 people (counts vary), were killed. These included miners, and also 2 women and 11 children who were killed in a cellar under the tent they were sheltering in when the military and company guards set fire to the tent colony. This horrific day was followed by 10 more of additional battles at several mines culminating in between 69 and 199 people killed. The workers and their unified families are gone, but not forgotten. Marked photographs by Dold, and courtesy of the National Archives. Images from Kheel Center collection 6037P #Laborhistory #UnitedMineWorkersofAmerica #Coloradoworkers #CoalFieldStrikes #coalmines #KheelCenter #Cornell University #cornellRAD #cornelllibrary @cornellilr @cornellpublichistory https://www.instagram.com/p/CclKGe3Lo9F/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=