The Homestead Strike occurred near which city in 1892, and what happened?

• A. 1886; tens of workers were killed
• B. 1889; a strike that failed
• C. 1894; workers won significant gains
• D. 1892; ten workers were killed when scab labor was brought in

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how labor disputes in the late 1800s could turn deadly when employers used replacement workers and private guards to break unions. The Homestead Strike happened in 1892 at the Carnegie Steel Company’s Homestead Works near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Workers, organized by the union, challenged wage cuts and work rules, and the company responded by bringing in scab labor and Pinkerton guards. A violent confrontation ensued, resulting in the deaths of ten workers, and ultimately the strike ended with the union’s defeat, after the militia was brought in to restore order. This event shows how powerful interests, private security, and government action could suppress organized labor during that era.