His ideas, along with others who shared his beliefs, would lead to the first march on washington, d. Organized skilled workers in craft unions in order to advance economic gains. Coxey s army 1893 group of unemployed workers led by jacob coxey who marched from ohio to washington to draw attention to the plight of workers and to ask for government relief. Politics in the gilded age, 18701900 simple book production. The first march on washington was a madcap affair, but in may of. Two mensoftspoken ohio businessman jacob coxey and boisterous, buffalo billattired california showman carl brownedecided in early 1894 to petition congress for a nationwide roadbuilding program to provide jobs to the unemployed and expand the currency by paying. Proposed march to washington is given up because of cold winds. Coxeys army explains how the demands of the coxeyites.
Coxey led a march of the unemployed on washington, dc, to lobby for his proposals, which were seen as a way to provide work for those who were jobless because of the. Despite running a gauntlet of ridicule, the marchers laid down a rough outline of what, some forty. In his early years, coxey received his first job in a steel mill at around the age of fifteen. The protest and protestors were referred to as coxeys army after jacob coxey who organized the main push of the march from ohio to washington, d. Coxey continued to push for public works projects, and in 1944 50 years after his march, and after new deal public works programs helped workers throughout the depression coxey was invited to give the speech on the capitol steps that he. Twenty years later, following a much smaller and less remembered 1914 march of a second coxey s army, coxey was permitted to ascend the steps and speak unhindered. Jacob coxey was born on this date in massillon, ohio. Coxey, the selfstyled representative of the american people. Back in ohio, coxey inspired 100 men to join him on a march to washington to deliver the good roads bill to congress.
Focusing specifically on coxey s army the name given to the marching workers, prout argues that the marching workers combined older populist concerns over gilded age economics with newly emerging strategies of social. Coxey was fed up with government inactivity in the face of the crisis. The primary event here was the petition in boots of 1894 coxeys army wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Coxey s army definition 1893 group of unemployed workers led by jacob coxey who marched from ohio to washington to draw attention to the plight of workers and to ask for government relief. Critics of the tactic of marching on washington dreadedprecisely, it turned outthat jacob coxey s army might inspire many organized protests in the capital of the united states.
There are a few history books that have information on commander coxey also called general coxey in some accounts. Unemployment in the gilded age, examines the 1894 march on washington, dc, by unemployed workers. At one point, coxey claimed his band of unemployed numbered 100,000. The book in question was coxeys army, a study of the industrial army movement of 1894. When our family gathered for a thanksgiving feast in the 1940s or 1950s, one of the elders would pronounce it enough for coxey s army, except to my immature and ignorant ear, i thought they said coxs army.
Although there were an estimated 500 unemployed men in and around norwich, the editors viewed the coxey army as posing the danger to the social order. During the late 1880s coxey started to advocate support of the small working and unemployed americans by the government. Popularly called greenbacks, these federal dollars were first issued by president lincoln when he was faced with usurious interest rates in the 1860s. The capitals role changed permanently, however, in 1894, when, during the worst economic depression the united states had yet endured, jacob coxey s army slogged 700 miles from ohio to washington to pressure congress to pass a massive makework program of national road building and to enact emergency currency reform. Coxeys army 1893 populist leader jacob sechler coxey proposed increasing the amount of u. In 1881 coxey moved to mallison ohio, to buy a sandstone quarry. Jacob coxey was a prominent political figure and laborrights advocate during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. In the novel, dorothy, the scarecrow the american farmer, tin woodman the industrial worker, and cowardly lion political leader, march on the yellow brick road to oz, the capitol or washington dc, demanding relief. Coxey 1894, 1944 although coxey s army was only one of more than forty different armies of the unemployed that headed for washington, d.
Coxey continued to push for public works projects, and in 1944 50 years after his march, and after new deal public works programs helped workers throughout the depression coxey was invited to give the speech on the capitol steps that he had not been allowed to deliver half a century earlier. By the following spring, businessman and populist agitator jacob s. Many of the outgoing jacob coxey letters are copies and unsigned. Coxeys army a protest march by unemployed workers from the united states, led by the populist jacob coxey. Iwws most important contributions to the labor movement and broader push toward. Since coxey advocated for more jobs for all people, it greatly appealed to the africanamericans who had recently lost many of their livelihoods due to the closure of the freedmens bureau prout 4. Coxeys army radical reformer jacob coxey organized hundreds. His book how the other half lives 1890 shocked readers with his descriptions of slum conditions in new york city, and it was an important predecessor to the muckraking journalism that gained popularity in the u. Apush unit 6 flashcard test, questions and answers. Unfortunately, the us government did not see this march as a peaceful assembly.
A term for progold standard democrats, such as grover cleveland. Do freedom of assembly and petition apply when jacob coxey leads an army of unemployed men to the u. Years ago, i published a book on the political influence of the railroad unions that included some stories about coxey s march. Coxeys army aka the commonweal army marched on washington with scores of followers and many newspaper reporters. Coxeys army was a protest march by unemployed workers from the united states, led by ohio businessman jacob coxey. In 1894, when poor people walked, one jacob sechler coxey now the respectable republican mayor of massillon, ohio marched a ragged army of 100 men from his hometown to washington to get the government to do something about hard times. Coxeys army and the pullman strike the panic of 1893 fueled the passion of the populists. To gain popular support, coxey organized a united states industrial army usia to march on washington, d. Coxey s army and the pullman strike coxey s army commonweal army jacob coxey led group of unemployed people to demand federal public works programs to relieve unemployment and printing of paper money pullman strike 1894 pullman made sleeper cars for trains pullman created a company town in which. Jacob coxey was born in selinsgrove, pennsylvania, on april 16, 1854. During his six years at the paper, baker covered the pullman strike and the 1893 march of a group of jobless men known as coxeys army on washington.
Either way, they referred to a notsocurrent event from their youth1894that must have left a lasting impression. Coxey and his army is both concise and engaging despite some minor stylistic flaws in the form of long stretches of rote recitation of location names and dates. There are political interpretations of his book, the wonderful wizard of oz, which have often been related to coxeys army. Here is how jacob coxey explained the idea at camp california, williamsport, md on april 18, 1894. April 16, 1854 may 18, 1951, sometimes known as general coxey, of massillon, ohio, was an american politician who ran for elective office several times in ohio. By the time he left at 24 he had been promoted to engineer. Officially named the army of the commonwealth in christ, its nickname came from its leader and was more enduring. Coxey s army was a protest march by unemployed workers from the united states, led by ohio businessman jacob coxey.
After the panic of 1893 unemployed workers around the country were enraged at the federal governments failure to. He spent his life dedicated to his businesses, some successful others not, and to politics. Great west and agricultural revolution bethel social studies. And on may 1, 1944, a decade after the new deal administration of fdr had indeed put the unemployed to work building roads among many other types of job, coxey read his. Jacob sechler coxey 1854 1951 was a successful manufacturer and unusual reform leader. Coxey was a wealthy populist who lead an army well 500 men to washington in order to force the government to employee them on various government funded projects. Indifferent to the massive suffering in the great depression of the 1890s, cleveland not only disregarded the peaceful march of coxeys army for relief of the poor, but had its leader, jacob. Under general coxey, the small unarmed militia headed for d. Keep off the grass coxeys army invades the nations capital. Maryland was founded by settlers sent by the late lord baltimore 1911. Jacob coxey, a civil war veteran, former farmer, and religious man, owned sandstone quarries in ohio. In 1894, coxeys army knew how to get the attention of. So how did this wealthy eccentric and his entourage become national news. Most famous of these people was general jacob coxey.
Coxey, known as coxey s army, on a march to washington, d. Jacob coxeys commonweal of christ, which was the first regiment to walk. This includes 100 outgoing letters from jacob coxey sr. Farmers alliance movement which focused on cooperation between farmers. Before coxey s army even reached the district of columbia, a senator alerted his colleagues that if they permitted his march, it may become a habit to make pilgrimages annually to washington and. Cleveland then sent in the army to stop the rioting and get the trains moving.
While much of the media coverage centered on jacob coxey s march from massillon, ohio, at least forty other industrial armies of unemployed workers were organized in 1894 for the purpose of marching to washington, d. He had numerous ideas on politics and financial issues, many of which were ahead of his time. Coxey is an important part of not only massillon history, but our. The story of coxey s army has been told, retold and then told again. Coxeys hometown of massillon has some great resources to learn more about him and his army. Twice, in 1894 and 1914, he led coxey s army, a group of unemployed men who marched to washington, d. Coxey is an important part of not only massillon history, but our national history as well. How a ragtag band of reformers organized the first protest. Coxey s army had only five hundred men, and it never fought a real battle. An advocate of pure paper currency and a champion for the unemployed, he was perhaps best known for organizing coxey s army of unemployed men to march on washington, dc, in the first public protest of its kind. In 1894, jacob coxey, a successful businessman from massillon, ohio, and his associate carl brown, a labor organizer, wanted to get the us government. How a ragtag band of reformers organized the first protest march on washington, d. Coxey is best remembered for the unorthodox manner in which he made his case in 1894. It was the second year of the depression of the 1890s, and unemployment was high.
His father worked in a sawmill at the time jacob was born, but the family pulled up stakes to move to industrially thriving danville, pennsylvania in 1860, with jacobs father taking a job working in an iron mill. Although coxeys army was only one of more than forty different armies of the unemployed that headed for washington, d. A study of the industrial army movement of 1894, 9780404041458. It was the first organized march on washington and may suggest a way for us today to rebuild our neglected infrastructure. In that introduction, he will explain that, taken together, the days covered in the book shed light on what it means to be an american. The speech jacob coxey almost never gave coxeys army. When congress refused to pass his bill, coxey led an army of the poor from ohio to washington, dc, where coxey and his lieutenants were arrested read more. Coxey was born on april 16, 1854, in selinsgrove, pennsylvania.
Which i will get to after a few words on the immediate subject. The capitals role changed permanently, however, in 1894, when, during the worst economic depression the united states had yet endured, jacob coxeys army slogged 700 miles from ohio to washington to pressure congress to pass a massive makework program of national road building and to enact emergency currency reform. This building campaign, he argued, would be financed by the printing presscoxey was a proinflation greenback party memberand would hike government spending by 75 percent. The legislation and the movement was initiated and led by jacob coxey and became known as coxey s army. When coxey s army marcht on washington, 1894 by carl browne book coxey s army book jacob sechler coxey. Coxey s proposal for a federally financed roadbuilding program to put the unemployed back to work. Chapter 26 the great west and the agricultural revolution. Coxey, a populist businessman, proposed ending the 1893 depression by issuing treasury notes to pay for a workrelief program. Which one of the following was least sympathetic to workers and farmers hardpressed by the depression of 1893. Coxey s army explains how the demands of the coxeyites. Focusing specifically on coxeys army the name given to the marching workers, prout argues that the marching workers combined older populist concerns over gilded age economics with newly emerging strategies of social reform.
The coxey family traveled in open horse drawn carriages and coxeys army. A unique response to the crisis and perhaps the first march on washington was prompted by ohio businessman jacob s. Coxey s name seems to be spelled differently by different sources. Apush 20 flashcards flashcard machine create, study and. Coxey and his eccentric colleague carl browne, who fancied himself the reincarnation of jesus christ, put together a collection of unemployed men and women to march to. Coxey hoped to persuade congress to authorize a vast program. Jack london, the industrial army, and the politics of jstor. He moved to massillon, ohio, in 1881 where he bought a sandstone quarry which he used to produce sand for the booming steel and glass industries. Ray stannard baker american experience official site pbs. Elizabeth cochranes demanding career left her little time for privacy and leisure, especially when reporting on stories that frustrated and jealous coworkers could never get. The first march on washington was a madcap affair, but in may of 1894, some 10,000 citizens descended on d. Mcmurrys interpretation in his 1985 book, coxeys army.
Jacob riis 18491914 was an american reporter, social reformer, and photographer. At the age of 16 he went to work in a mill alongside his father. The march itself was planned and led by jacob coxey, a wealthy ohio. Her interviews of anarchist emma goldman and socialist eugene debs brought her further acclaim, along with articles on jacob coxey s army and the pullman strike. Years ago, i published a book on the political influence of the railroad unions that included some stories about coxeys march. Jacob sechler coxey was born on april 16, 1854, in selinsgrove, pennsylvania. Jocob coxey s army of unemployed who marched on washington d.
The panic of 1893 fueled the passion of the populists. His ideas would contribute to the development of the social security act. First was a push for bimetallism and a drastic increase of the money supply. Coxey, address of protest 1894 jacob coxey was a middleaged businessman who wanted to put the nations jobless to work building roads in the 1890s. Jacob sechler coxey was born on april 16, 1854 in selinsgrove, pennsylvania, the son of the former mary ann sechler and thomas coxey. In 1918, while washingtonians were anxiously awaiting for their boys to come home near the end of wwi, reports were coming over from europe about soldiers dying from a mysterious spanish influenza.
In the spring of 1894, businessman jacob coxey led a march of unemployed ohioans from cincinnati to washington, dc, where leaders of the group urged congress to pass public works legislation for the federal government to hire unemployed workers to build. Coxeys army, a study of the industrial army movement of 1894. Aug 08, 2018 the solution of jacob coxey and his industrial army of destitute unemployed men was to augment the money supply with governmentissued united states notes. What really made coxey stand out was his status as a populist. Coxey worked at the mill until he found a place as an operator on stationary engines, which led him to a short lived job running his own scrap iron business.
Coxeys army marched on washington with scores of followers and many newspaper reporters. There is one linear foot of correspondence consisting of 550 letters from 241 correspondents. The cover of an 1894 frank leslies illustrated weekly shows the dramatic end to jacob coxey s journey to washington his arrest amidst a crowd of supporters at the capitol. It is the true story of when coxey s army invaded washington, dc in 1894. Coxeys army is a timely book that evokes the recent occupy movement. With the united states mired in a deep depression jacob coxey organized a march on washington.
Coxey, a wealthy populist who owned a sand quarry, bred. New york times falsifies history to claim sanders is. A notable example of the governments failure to act was the story of coxeys army. Jacob sechler coxey was born in pennsylvania in 1854. Coxey, a businessman, the group left massillon, ohio, on march 25, 1894, with about 100 men, accompanied by a large contingent of reporters, and arrived in washington on may 1 with about 500. It is the true story of when coxeys army invaded washington, dc in 1894. He received his education in the danville, pennsylvania, public schools, before dropping out of school and taking a job with a local steel mill. Government arrested the leaders and broke up the march in washington. Exam 22 the march of jacob coxeys army on washington d. Coxey, an owner of a sand quarry in massillon, ohio, faced difficult financial times as the panic of 1893 gripped the united states.