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Today in Labor History December 13, 1636: The U.S. National Guard was created. The military force was originally created as a militia, by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, to protect its economic interests by killing local indigenous people, especially members of the Pequot tribe. In 1877, they were used to protect the interests of capital during the Great Train Strike, the wave of wildcat strikes that had broken out across the country. During that wave, National Guards and Police killed at least 100 workers. They also protected the interests of capital by providing the majority of soldiers for 19th century imperialistic wars, like the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War. Governors used them to suppress the Watts Riot (1965), the Rochester Race Riot (1964) and antiwar protests at Kent State. In each of these deployments, they shot and killed unarmed civilians.

Read my article on the Great Train Strike here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/03/31/the-great-upheaval/