List of anniversary candidates - Input is always welcome

[Charles Drago]

June 25, 1876 -- the deep political betrayal and assassination of George Armstrong Custer.

This is going on the list and I'm eager to learn more Charles. I looked at your earlier posts on the subject (thanks for the link Maggie) yet still have more to read.

What's up on the thread I started (thanks, Maggie) pretty much covers the basics. This is virgin territory, and I'm using what can be known at this point in time as inspiration for fiction.

Earlier I promised to provide a brief bibliography of must-read Custer volumes. Bear with me and I'll do so.

Thanks.

[Myra Bronstein]

A few more events to add to the list:

Murder of Huey Long, September 10, 1935.

Matewan massacre, May 19,1920. Assassination of President McKinley, September 14, 1901

Assassination of President Garfield, September 19, 1881

Murder of James Hoffa, July 30, 1975.

Ludlow massacre, April 20, 1914.

John

Thank you for this input John.
I really appreciate your focus on union milestones, and the Matewan massacre is hugely significant. In fact the movie Matewan is my number one favorite movie and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the nefarious tactics industrialists will use to stamp out organized labor.

Also appreciate your inclusion of Huey Long, a populist pol who is mostly ignored. When he is noted it's mainly as a corrupt powerful pol (e.g., "All the King's Men"). I think he's a big an early piece of the puzzle.

[Myra Bronstein]

Matewan massacre, May 19,1920.
Ludlow massacre, April 20, 1914.

John

I posted a thread on similar events in which statist power was brought to bear against the people (or labor) and there may be more candidates in that list. Certainly if you are going to include the Matewan massacre, you must also note the Battle of Blair Mountain, recently the focus of an attempt to note that site/event historically but which remains something that some would wish forgotten. It is memorable to me if only because early forms of US military air power under Billy Mitchell were brought to bear (flying out of the same airfield which sent the combat air patrol for DC out into the Atlantic on 9/11), and it is the origin of the term "redneck".
...

OMG I can't believe I never heard of the Battle of Blair Mountain Ed. Thank you! It's huge:

"The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest open class war in US history, and was the second largest overall armed insurrection next to the US Civil War. For five days in late August and early September 1921, in Logan County, West Virginia, between 10,000 and 15,000 coal miners confronted an army of police and strikebreakers backed by coal operators in an effort to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. Their struggle ended only after approximately one million rounds were fired,[1] and the US Army intervened by presidential order."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain

Americans are never ever ever taught any labor history because they don't want us to know how central it is to politics, economics and history. It's the real reason for the demonization "Communists." Rich greedy industrialists want cheap (ideally free, i.e., slaves) labor and that's the unadorned bottom line.

Man oh man, coal miners and unions and company thugs. It's just endless. From what I understand those hapless Chilean miners wouldn't have been trapped if they were not scabs and were members of the miners worker's union which refused to work in that mine because it was known to be unsafe.

Matewan massacre, May 19,1920.
Ludlow massacre, April 20, 1914.

John

...
This is a lovely idea which I hope gets well fleshed out to become our very own calendar (including graphics, videos, DPF and other links, and perhaps more), complete with automatic e-mail distribution to all members (and others?) for printing and posting in their favorite extensions and educational venues.

Kudos to the ideators and executrices ...

Thanks again Ed. I appreciate your encouragement and ideas.
The whole point is to assemble the puzzle pieces so the picture and patterns are apparent. Input on ways to do that is most appreciated.

[Ed Jewett]

My pleasure, Myra. The brief time I spent in WV was a lesson. It was an opportunity to drive past the Hawk's Nest and learn of its story, to drive past the place where the "rednecks" assembled to march to that battle, and to learn of the continued struggles of mines, miners, the land, and big companies (which continues today in the form of Massey Energy, the 'purchase' of judges, the Chamber of Commerce, mine accidents, mountaintop removal, and more).

[Ed Jewett]

This little gem of an idea or project died during the recent, er, um, re-organization (?).

Should it be resurrected? renewed?

[Magda Hassan]

Well, the former member was the one who did the pictures. Don't know that any one else does that here. I've just been doing other stuff and I suppose other have too. I know we just missed JFK and LHO's assassinations. I usually post in the Historical Events board if there is any thing interesting come my way about significant events or passings or anniversaries.