May1st,InternationalWorkers'Day,commemoratesthehistoricstruggleofworkingpeoplethroughouttheworld,andisrecognizedinmostcountries.TheUnitedStatesofAmericaandCanadaareamongtheexceptions.Thisdespitethefactthattheholidaybeganinthe1880sintheUSA,linkedtothebattlefortheeight-hourday,andtheChicagoanarchists.

　　Thestrugglefortheeight-hourdaybeganinthe1860s.In1884,theFederationofOrganizedTradesandLaborUnionsoftheUnitedStatesandCanada,organizedin1881(andchangingitsnamein1886toAmericanFederationofLabor)passedaresolutionwhichassertedthat"eighthoursshallconstitutealegalday'sworkfromandafterMay1,1886,andthatwerecommendtolabororganizationsthroughoutthisdistrictthattheysodirecttheirlawsastoconformtothisresolution".ThefollowingyeartheFederationrepeatedthedeclarationthataneight-hoursystemwastogointoeffectonMay1,1886.Withworkersbeingforcedtoworkten,twelve,andfourteenhoursaday,supportfortheeight-hourmovementgrewrapidly.InthemonthspriortoMay1,1886,thousandsofworkers,organizedandunorganized,membersoftheorganizationKnightsofLaborandofthefederation,weredrawnintothestruggle.Chicagowasthemaincenteroftheagitationforashorterday.TheanarchistswereintheforefrontoftheCentralLaborUnionofChicago,whichconsistedof22unionsin1886,amongthemthesevenlargestinthecity.

　　DuringtheRailroadstrikesof1877,theworkershadbeenviolentlyattackedbythepoliceandtheUnitedStatesArmy.Asimilartacticofstateterrorismwaspreparedbythebureaucracytofighttheeight-hourmovement.ThepoliceandNationalGuardwereincreasedinsizeandreceivednewandpowerfulweaponsfinancedbylocalbusinessleaders.Chicago'sCommercialClubpurchaseda$2000machinegunfortheIllinoisNationalGuardtobeusedagainststrikers.Nevertheless,byMay1st,themovementhadalreadywongainsformanyChicagoworkers.ButonMay3,1886,policefiredintoacrowdofstrikersattheMcCormickHarvesterMachineCompany,killingatleastonestriker,seriouslywoundingfiveorsixothers,andinjuringanundeterminednumber.AnarchistscalledforamassmeetingthenextdayinHaymarketSquaretoprotestthebrutality.

　　Themeetingproceededwithoutincident,andbythetimethelastspeakerwasontheplatform,therainygatheringwasalreadybreakingup,withonlyabouttwohundredpeopleremaining.Itwasthenapolicecolumnof180menmarchedintothesquareandorderedthemeetingtodisperse.Attheendofthemeetingabombwasthrownatthepolice,killingoneinstantly,sixothersdiedlater.Aboutseventypoliceofficerswerewounded.Policerespondedbyfiringintothecrowd.Howmanycivilianswerewoundedorkilledfrompolicebullitsneverwasascertainedexactly.Althoughitwasneverdeterminedwhothrewthebomb,theincidentwasusedasanexcusetoattackanarchistsandthelabormovementingeneral.Policeransackedthehomesandofficesofsuspectedradicals,andhundredswerearrestedwithoutcharge.AreignofpoliceterrorsweptoverChicago.Staging"raids"intheworking-classdistricts,thepoliceroundedupallknownanarchistsandothersocialists."Maketheraidsfirstandlookupthelawafterward!"publiclycounseledthestate'sattorney.

　　Anarchistsinparticularwereharassed,andeightofChicago'smostactivewerechargedwithconspiracytomurderin