20 April 1914: Ludlow massacre

20 April 1914: Ludlow massacre

From On This Day in Working Class History by Working Class History

April 20, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the Ludlow massacre that occurred on April 20, 1914, when US troops attacked striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado.

On this day, 20 April 1914, the Ludlow massacre took place when US troops opened fire with machine guns on a camp of striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado. 12,000 miners had gone out on strike the previous September against the Rockefeller family-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation (CF&I) following the killing of an activist of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). They then demanded better safety at work, and to be paid in money, instead of company scrip (tokens which could only be redeemed in the company store). The Rockefellers evicted the striking miners and their families from their homes, and so they set up "tent cities" to live in collectively, which miners' wives helped run. Company thugs harassed strikers, and occasionally drove by camps riddling them with machine-gun fire, killing and injuring workers and their children. Eventually the national guard was ordered to evict all the strike encampments, and the morning of April 20 they attacked the largest camp in Ludlow. They opened fire with machine guns on the tents of the workers and their families, who then returned fire. The main organiser of the camp, Louis Tikas, went to visit the…

People in this episode

Host: Working Class History

Topics covered

  • labor history
  • strikes
  • violence
  • workers' rights
  • mining
  • social justice

Keywords

  • Ludlow massacre
  • striking miners
  • Louis Tikas
  • Colorado Fuel and Iron
  • United Mine Workers
  • labor rights
  • 1914
  • violence against workers

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation (CF&I)

Places: Ludlow, Colorado

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