Organized labor faced many challenges in the early 20th century in America. Unions lacked legislation, and activism was done not so much by elected officials, but by the individual stakeholders to progress unionization. Unionization is an important freedom in which the constitution guarantees its people the liberty of free speech and assembly, as stated in the First Amendment (First Amendment | U.S. Constitution | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (cornell.edu).
There was much at stake for the freedoms of the laborers and violence was often used as a primary means to establish power. This project highlights the history of the coal miners’ violent struggle in the 1920s, specifically West Virginia, and the effect of unionization in America. The Battle of Blair Mountain was the consequence of the miners’ efforts to organize when faced with stiff resistance by authorities of Mingo and Logan County. This is where the largest labor uprising of America took place (Battle of Blair Mountain - Wikipedia).
Evidence is shown to demonstrate constant fighting without any practical end in sight. Newspapers from the timeframe (1919-1922) are filled with articles on strikes and violence. Some mention successful strikes while others, that are adjacent to, explain how mines in West Virginia are operating at top speed despite nation-wide, organized strikes. Coal operators were keen to keeping out labor organizers and sympathizers in order to maintain control of anti-union philosophy. The balance was not equal between United Mine Workers of America (UMW) and the coal operators. It was common for laborers to face unsafe working conditions, unfair practices, and low pay; The union provided a platform to advocate for improvements on behalf of the laborers. Non-union coal fields did not have the same privilege as there was nobody to act as their voice. Each side of the conflict were in the fight to gain the upper hand, and when tensions culminated, the Battle of Blair Mountain erupted.
“This project was researched and created by Sakif and Jared as part of a collaboration between Dr. Erin Brock Carlson’s Multimedia Writing (ENGL 303) course and Dr. Miriam Cady and the West Virginia and Regional History Center in Spring 2021.”