On this day in Labor History the year was 1885.
White miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming planned to wipe out the town’s entire Chinese community.
Chinese immigrants came to the United States looking for work, first in the California gold mines, then as laborers on the Transcontinental Railroad.
Later, some worked for Union Pacific-owned coal mines including the one in Rock Springs.
Union Pacific used racial animosity to divide its labor force.
The company quashed the union at Rock Springs and only rehired fifty white miners.
The other 150 miners were Chinese. And on this morning, two white miners went to the mines and beat two Chinese miners – one to death.
A mob of 150 whites, armed with rifles, marched into Chinatown.
The mob gave the Chinese residents an hour to pack up and leave.
However, after thirty minutes, some started shooting their rifles.
One Chinese miner was killed.
The Chinese workers panicked and tried to flee.
White rioters robbed, beat and even killed the Chinese workers that they could catch.
In a report to the New York Chinese Consulate, Chinese survivors related: “Some of the rioters would let a Chinese go after depriving him of all his gold and silver, while another. . .would be beaten with the butt ends of the weapons before being let go. Some of the rioters would shoot [a Chinese] dead on the spot. . . Some. . .stood by, shouting loudly and laughing and clapping their hands.”
That night, white rioters burned down every building in Chinatown.
In all twenty-eight Chinese workers were killed.
President Grover Cleveland sent in federal troops to quell the violence.
The Chinese miners did not want to return to work. Union Pacific did not want to lose its cheap labor supply and forced their return to the mines.
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