1916: The Violent Everett Massacre
When workers demanded an 8-hour workday, how did a peaceful labor rally turn deadly?
Featured birthday guest
Elena Rostova
From Seattle, WA
Birthday memory: Visiting the historic waterfront dock in Everett on my 25th birthday.
Participating scholar
Dr. Marcus Thorne
Pacific Northwest Labor Historian
Providing historical context, primary-document vetting, and intellectual substance during today's lively discussion.
Are you a historian? Apply to join an episodeHistorical overview
On November 5, 1916, a bloody confrontation broke out at City Dock in Everett, Washington between armed citizen deputies and union workers on the steamer Verona. We dissect early 20th-century labor battles, shingle weaver strikes, and the fight for fair wages.
Wait… that happened today?
"The Verona was so heavily lopsided with 250 passengers rushing to one side during gunfire that it nearly capsized in the harbor!"
Questions explored in this episode
- 1.Why were shingle weavers in the Pacific Northwest leading radical labor organization?
- 2.How did local newspapers report the conflict differently from national correspondents?
- 3.What legal precedents emerged from the subsequent trial in Seattle?
The big question
"Did the public backlash from Everett speed up or slow down the 8-hour workday movement?"
Select an option to register your vote. · 840 listeners have weighed in.