Coxey’s Army Marches on D.C. (1894)

Mon Apr 30, 1894

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Image: Coxey’s army in Washington D.C., May 1894. From the Library of Congress [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1894, “Coxey’s Army”, thousands of unemployed workers led by businessman Jacob Coxey, marched on the U.S. capital to protest unemployment and present a proposal for a $500 million jobs bill during an economic depression. The march marked one of the first popular protests to take place at the capital.

Coxey’s Army marched to Washington D.C. from Ohio. Enjoying national popularity, other “Coxey’s Armies” formed around the country, particularly among unemployed rail workers. One group in Oregon even commandeered a train to facilitate their westward travel.

Upon arriving at the capital, Coxey and Carl Browne, his second in command, were greeted by 1,000 police officers, beaten, and arrested. Coxey later organized another march on D.C. in 1914. Although his jobs bill was rejected, similar legislation became federal policy decades later, under President Roosevelt’s New Deal.