The Haymaker riot broke out in May, 1884 when a group of
laborers struck the International Harvester plant over an eight-hour workday. During a
clash with police, one striker was killed. Later, an anarchist rally was held to protest
the killing. When the police showed up to break up the rally, someone threw a bomb, and
killed a policeman. Several anarchists were tried for murder; four were hanged. All but
one were German speaking; but most importantly, the one had a Knights of Labor Card on
him. This event caused a tremendous backlash against labor organization, and the Knights
pretty much faded as a result.
The prevailing fear among
many Americans at the time was that labor organizers were primarily anarchists and
communist radicals. The Haymarket riot did nothing for the image of organized labor, but
rather reinforced the
stereotype.
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