Today in Labor History April 18, 1912: The governor of West Virginia called out the National Guard against striking coal miners. As a result, fifty people were killed. His action marked the beginning of the West Virginia Mine Wars, initiating one of the most violent strikes in the nation's history. Because of their isolation and geography, the West Virginia mine owners were able to dominate the miners more than almost any other employer in the nation. They hired gun thugs from the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, who routinely murdered miners and evicted their families from the company towns. On April 18, thousands of miners went on strike in Paint Creek, Cabin Creek and in surrounding counties. Many were armed with hunting rifles to defend themselves against the company thugs. Mother Jones and Socialist Party members came to support the miners.
The struggle that began today in 1912 continued for decades and included the Battle of Matewan and the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War, and the largest labor uprising in U.S. history. 10,000-15,000 coal miners battled 3,000 cops, private cops and vigilantes, who were backed by the coal bosses. Up to 100 miners died in the fighting, along with 10-30 Baldwin-Felts detectives and three national guards. Nearly 1,000 people were arrested. One million rounds were fired. And the government bombed striking coal miners by air, using homemade bombs and poison gas left over from World War I. This was the second time the government had used planes to bomb its own citizens within the U.S. (the first was against African American during the Tulsa pogrom, earlier that same year). You can read my longer article on the West Virginia Mine Wars and the Battle of Blair Mountain here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/14/the-battle-of-blair-mountain/