Harlan County War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harlan County War |
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| Part of the Coal Wars | |||
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| Date | 1931–1939 | ||
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Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
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The Harlan County War, also called Bloody Harlan, was a tough time in Harlan County, Kentucky. It happened in the 1930s and involved many fights, strikes, and violent events. This conflict was between coal miners and union organizers on one side, and coal companies and law enforcement on the other.
The main reason for the conflict was the miners' right to form unions. They wanted better pay and safer working conditions. This struggle lasted for almost ten years, from 1931 to 1939. Many miners, deputies, and bosses lost their lives. The state and federal troops came to the county many times. In the end, workers in this area, which was very against unions, finally got union representation.
Contents
Why the Conflict Started
On February 16, 1931, coal companies in Harlan County cut miners' wages by 10%. They said they needed to do this to avoid losing money. This made the already poor miners very upset. The United Mine Workers of America (UMW) tried to help the miners organize.
Miners Fight for Their Rights
When miners joined the union, their bosses often fired them. They were also forced to leave their company-owned homes. Soon, most of the remaining miners went on strike to support each other. Many hungry and homeless workers and their families went to towns not owned by the mining companies. They found support there from people who wanted to see the company stores disappear.
At one point, 5,800 miners were on strike, and only 900 were still working. The mine owners hired private guards to protect the workers who crossed the picket lines. These guards had special powers as county deputies. They worked under Sheriff J.H. Blair, who openly supported the mine owners. He said he did everything to help the operators and that there was "no compromise" with the "Reds" (meaning union organizers).
A Song of Protest
The people of Harlan County soon realized that law enforcement was not fair. Florence Reece, a songwriter, shared her experience. Sheriff Blair and his men came to her house looking for her husband, Sam, who was a union leader. Florence was home with their seven children. The men searched their house and waited outside to shoot Sam. But he did not come home that night.
After this, Florence wrote the song "Which Side Are You On?" She used the tune of an old hymn. She said her songs always support the workers. She believed there was no such thing as being neutral. "In Harlan County there wasn't no neutral," she said. "If you wasn't a gun thug, you was a union man. You had to be."
Battles and Violence
Strikers and private guards often exchanged gunfire. Strikebreakers were sometimes attacked and beaten. The most violent event by miners happened on May 5, 1931. It was called the Battle of Evarts. Miners waited in ambush for cars bringing supplies to strikebreakers. They shot at the cars. Three company men and one striker died in the gunfight.
National Guard Steps In
The Kentucky National Guard was called in because of the violence. The strikers hoped the Guard would protect them. But instead, the National Guard broke up the picket lines. On May 24, a union meeting was broken up with tear gas. Sheriff Blair then took away the county members' right to gather. By June 17, all the mines were back to work. The mine owners did not give in to any of the miners' demands. Union membership dropped sharply.
New Unions and Laws
After the UMW failed, the National Miners' Union (NMU), which was linked to the Communist Party, tried to organize miners in Harlan County. Many workers felt let down by unions, but the NMU's ideas gained some support. They opened soup kitchens to help the miners. However, their strikes in Harlan were not successful.
The NMU lost its support for several reasons. Local organizers learned that the Communist leaders were against religion and spoke out against the NMU. A young organizer named Harry Simms was killed in Harlan. Also, the American Red Cross and local charities started helping blacklisted miners. The NMU's soup kitchens had to close because they ran out of money.
Government Support for Workers
The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) was a new law that supported workers' rights to organize. It made it illegal to fire workers for being in a union. From 1933 to 1935, about half of Harlan's coal mines allowed union membership. Wages in these mines became similar to the rest of the country.
Sheriff Blair was voted out of office in 1933 and died in 1934. T. R. Middleton, who supported unions, replaced him. The Kentucky National Guard was called again in December 1934. This time, UMW organizers asked for them because bosses and deputies had threatened them. The troops escorted the union men out of the county. As support for the NIRA faded, the mine owners gained power again. When the U.S. Supreme Court ended the NIRA's pro-union part, union presence in Harlan mines almost disappeared.
The Wagner Act's Influence
The Wagner Act of 1935 was a stronger law. It made many tactics used by coal companies illegal. These tactics included contracts that forced workers not to join unions, company-controlled unions, and blacklists (lists of workers not to hire). While most coal companies across the country followed this new law, Harlan was still very resistant.
On July 7, 1935, deputies attacked miners who were celebrating the Wagner Act. They beat several miners to break up the crowd. 1935 was a very difficult year for Harlan. Troops were sent to the county three times to keep order. On September 29, troops were sent to help the miners for the first time in the Harlan County War. The governor called the beatings and harassment by mine guards "the worst reign of terror" in the county's history. He protected the miners, even though a violent act had killed Harlan County Attorney Elmon Middleton a few weeks earlier.
Lasting Effects
Many people learned about the Harlan County War. Author Theodore Dreiser led an investigation. He wrote a report called Harlan Miners Speak: Report on Terrorism in the Kentucky Coal Fields. This report shared the stories of the miners.
Music and Activism
The Dreiser Committee also found folk singers Aunt Molly Jackson and her half-brother Jim Garland. They went on a tour across 38 states to raise money for the striking miners. Florence Reece also wrote her famous song "Which Side Are You On?" during this time.
Caroline Decker, a labor activist from California, first got involved in union work during the Harlan County War. She and her sister helped the striking miners.
Films About the Conflict
The 1976 documentary film Harlan County, USA won an Academy Award. It focused on similar labor violence in the 1970s but also mentioned the 1930s conflict. Florence Reece even appeared in the film. The 2000 television movie Harlan County War starred Holly Hunter.
See also
In Spanish: Harlan County War para niños
