Which 1886 Chicago event became a major symbol of the international labor movement?

The Haymarket affair became a major symbol of the international labor movement.

The event began with a labor demonstration in Chicago’s Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886, during a campaign for an eight-hour workday. After police moved to disperse the gathering, a bomb was thrown, followed by gunfire. The deaths and subsequent trials generated international controversy and made Haymarket a lasting symbol of labor activism and state repression.

The affair strongly influenced the decision to commemorate workers internationally on May 1. That date is now associated with International Workers’ Day in many countries, although the United States and Canada observe Labor Day on different dates in September.

Haymarket is often confused with the Pullman Strike, which occurred in 1894. The two events were separate: Haymarket centered on an 1886 demonstration in Chicago, while the Pullman conflict involved a nationwide railroad boycott and strike eight years later.