Which strike in 1894 involved railway workers and spread nationwide?

The Pullman Strike of 1894 was a significant and pivotal event in U.S. labor history, primarily involving railway workers who were protesting wage cuts and high rents in company-owned housing. This strike began at the Pullman Company in Chicago and rapidly escalated, leading to a nationwide boycott of trains carrying Pullman sleeping cars. The strike had a vast impact, as it disrupted rail traffic across the country and showed the extent of labor discontent and the power of organized labor.

The federal government intervened by sending troops to break the strike, which highlighted the tense relationship between labor and government at the time. The Pullman Strike was notably significant because it marked one of the first major instances of government intervention in labor disputes, which set a precedent for future relations between labor unions and federal authority. The strike's extensive reach and the subsequent ramifications for labor legislation and union organization emphasize its importance in American labor history.