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Why did President Grover Cleveland send federal troops to Chicago during the Pullman Strike?
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Pullman Strike
A shantytown on the lakefront in Chicago during the Pullman Strike and general economic downturn of 1893–94.
President Grover Cleveland dispatched federal troops to Chicago during the Pullman Strike primarily to ensure the continued operation of the national rail network and the delivery of U.S. mail, which had been severely disrupted by the strike and boycott.12
The federal government’s intervention was driven by several key factors:
- Legal Justification: Attorney General Richard Olney obtained a federal injunction against the American Railway Union (ARU) leaders, citing the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Interstate Commerce Act. This allowed President Cleveland to treat the labor action as a federal issue.13
- Disruption of Federal Duties: The boycott prevented the federal government from fulfilling its responsibility to transport mail. When a locomotive attached to a mail train was derailed, it significantly escalated the President's resolve to intervene.2
- Cabinet Support: A majority of the President's cabinet supported the demand to send troops to end what they characterized as a "reign of terror" in Chicago.3
Although the troops were ostensibly sent to maintain order, they functioned to ensure trains continued to move, which effectively undermined the boycott and led to the collapse of the strike.13