The Pullman Strike of 1894 was an organized work stoppage, originating in Chicago, by Pullman Palace Car Company employees in response to the company's announcement of a wage decrease. During the late nineteenth century, the U.S. economy struggled with severe economic downturns and banking crises that left many Americans unemployed or underpaid. This created an environment of hostility and unrest among laborers toward management, and the military was often asked to intervene. The Pullman Strike was one of the first labor movement strikes in the United States and called into question the role of the federal government in settling labor disputes. After the American Civil War (1861–65), the U.S. economy enjoyed a period of economic prosperity with the advent of the Second Industrial Revolution (1865–73). This was a time of significant technological innovations, corporate expansion, and large-scale agriculture. Because of risky investments and unsafe banking practices, which fueled much…