The Chicago Haymarket Affair

Book excerpt: This history and guide presents the significant sites and events of the Haymarket Square riot, a major turning point in the fight for workers’ rights. On May 4th, 1886, a bomb exploded during a labor demonstration near Haymarket Square in Chicago. The ensuing gunfire and chaos brought a grisly end to what began as peaceful support for an eight-hour workday. With both officers and civilians dead, newspapers proclaimed an anarchist conspiracy. The investigation led to the trial and execution of rally organizers. The incident also drew irrevocable attention to debates about workers’ rights and the role of law enforcement that continues today. In this guide to the key moments and sites of one of Chicago’s most confusing and chaotic events, author Joseph Anthony Rulli aims to establish a clearer understanding of its historical significance.