May Day 1886 : Encyclopedia of Chicago Fact of the Day

“On May 1, 1886, Chicago unionists, reformers, socialists, anarchists, and ordinary workers combined to make the city the center of the national movement for an eight-hour day.  Between April 25 and May 4, workers attended scores of meetings and paraded through the streets at least 19 times.  On Saturday, May 1, 35,000 workers walked off their jobs.  Tens of thousands more, both skilled and unskilled, joined them on May 3 and 4.”