1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Hello, everyone, it's Eves checking in here to let you 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: know that you're going to be hearing two different events 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: in history in this episode. They're both good, if I 4 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: do say so myself. On with the show. Welcome back 5 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: to this day in History class, where we reveal a 6 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: new piece of history every day. The day was May fourth, 7 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: nineteen nineteen. At around one thirty in the afternoon, about 8 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: three thousand students from universities in Beijing gathered at the 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: Gate of Heavenly Peace in Tiana and the Moon Square. 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: They were protesting the Versailles Peace Conference, which gave German 11 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: rights over Shandong and Eastern Chinese Province to Japan. The 12 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: demonstrations marked a peak in the May fourth Movement, an 13 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: intellectual revolution and socio political reform movement in China. In 14 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: nineteen fourteen, Japan seized control of Shandong from Germany. The 15 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: next year, Japan issued a set of demands known as 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: the twenty one Demands that would extend Japanese control of 17 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: Manchuria and the Chinese economy. The demands called for China 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: to recognize Japan's seizure of German spheres of influence in China. 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: Facing the threat of war, Chinese President Yun Shu Kai 20 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: accepted most of the demands to appease Japan. This appeasement 21 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: was not well received by many Chinese folks, an anti 22 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: Japanese sentiment grew in China. On top of that, the 23 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: warlord era that began in China after U N's death 24 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixteen caused much social and political strife. The 25 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: New Culture movement also helped build the foundation for the 26 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: May Fourth movement. New Youth, established by Picking University professor 27 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: Chen Dooshu, was a monthly magazine that promoted ideals like 28 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: science and democracy, while opposing some to adational Chinese ideals 29 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: and Confucian values. Intellectuals who were inspired by New Youth 30 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: began advocating for reform and denouncing parts of Chinese heritage. 31 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: They uplifted notions of nationalism, liberalism, and socialism. They also 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: suggested a new vernacular writing style that would replace the 33 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: classical written win Yon Chinese. In nineteen seventeen, China declared 34 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: war against Germany. China joined the war on the side 35 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: of the Allies, under the condition that it would get 36 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: back all German spheres of influence, including Shandong. The Allies 37 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: were victorious, but when the Treaty of Versailles was drawn 38 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: up in nineteen nineteen, Shandong was given to Japan. This 39 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: controversy became known as the Shandong Question or Shandong problem, 40 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: and the Chinese public was upset about that transfer of rights. 41 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: Students at Beijing University drafted a manifesto written by Luo 42 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: g ln. It said, in part, this is the last 43 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: chance for China in her life and death struggle. Today 44 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: we swear two solemn oaths with all our fellow countrymen. First, 45 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: China's territory may be conquered, but it cannot be given away. Second, 46 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: the Chinese people may be massacred, but they will not surrender. 47 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: Our country is about to be annihilated. Up brethren opposed 48 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: to the Chinese delegations actions at the Paris Conference, a 49 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: coalition of student groups decided to hold a demonstration on 50 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:38,119 Speaker 1: May seven, but when the news about Shandong broke, they 51 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: decided to act quickly, so on May four, nineteen nineteen, 52 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: representatives from several student organizations met at the Peking College 53 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: of Law and Political Science to plan the demonstration. They 54 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: settled on five resolutions, which were as follows. Telegrams would 55 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: be sent to all interested in involved organizations domestically and abroad, 56 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: asking them to protest the Shandong resolution. They would educate 57 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: the Chinese masses about what was happening at the conference, 58 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: a centralized organization of all student groups would be established 59 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: for organizational and administrative purposes, and finally, the route for 60 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: the demonstration that afternoon would start at tiana Mun Gate 61 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: and moved through the business area of the city. That afternoon, 62 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:30,239 Speaker 1: thousands of students from thirteen universities gathered at tiana Mun Square. 63 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: They passed out flyers that said China would not concede 64 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: Shandong to Japan, and they called for the Baiyong government 65 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,239 Speaker 1: not to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. The students marched 66 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: to the Legation Quarter in Beijing, where the foreign embassies 67 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: were located, and presented letters to foreign ministers. Diplomat cow 68 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: Roulin's house was burned down. The next day the student 69 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: protesters and Beijing went on strike, and students elsewhere in 70 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: China followed. Students also boycott at Japanese goods. Several students 71 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: were harmed or died in the demonstrations, and more than 72 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: a thousand were arrested. In early June, somewhere around a 73 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: hundred thousand industrial workers in Shanghai went on a week 74 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: long general strike. The workers began demanding higher wages and 75 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: better working conditions. Facing the pressure of all the protests, 76 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: the government finally gave in. The entire cabinet resigned. The 77 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: government released student prisoners, dismissed pro Japanese officials, and refused 78 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: to sign the Versailles Treaty, but Japan still had control 79 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 1: of the Shandong peninsula. China signed a treaty with Germany 80 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty one, and in nineteen two Shandong was 81 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: returned to China. As part of the deal, Japanese residents 82 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: living in Shandong got special privileges. The anti imperialist May 83 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: Fourth movement is seen as a turning point in Chinese 84 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: intellectual thought. Literature using for racular Chinese emerged. The nationalist 85 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: guadman Dong Party was reorganized, Mass meetings were held throughout 86 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: China for the common people, and partly because the Chinese 87 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: view the Shandong problem as a betrayal by the Western powers, 88 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: they turned away from ideals of democracy and toward communism. 89 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:24,799 Speaker 1: Chinese political movement became more radical. I'm Eves, Jeff Code, 90 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 91 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, 92 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: and Facebook at T d i h C Podcast. Thanks 93 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: for showing up. We'll meet here again tomorrow. May the 94 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: fourth be with you. Hello everyone, I'm Eves and welcome 95 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: to this Day History Class, a podcast that brings you 96 00:06:51,560 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: a new neugget of history every day. The day was 97 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: made Fourth eighteen eighty six, a peaceful labor demonstration in 98 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: Chicago turned into a riot after a bomb was set off. 99 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: In the US in the late eighteen hundreds, industrial capitalism 100 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,239 Speaker 1: was on the rise and working conditions were poor. Tens 101 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: of thousands of workers died in workplace accidents every year 102 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: between eighteen eighty one and nineteen hundred, and work days 103 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,239 Speaker 1: were often twelve to fourteen hours long, six days a week. 104 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: Unions formed to protect workers rights and interests were also 105 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: on the rise as more people took jobs in factories, minds, 106 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: and mills. Factions of socialist, communists and anarchists were linked 107 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: to the labor movement. The National Labor Union, founded in 108 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty six, pressed for labor reforms like the eight 109 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: hour work Day. It dissolved in eighteen seventy three. The 110 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: Nights of Labor began as a secret organization in eighteen 111 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: sixty nine, but once it abandoned its secrecy a decade later, 112 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: membership grew quickly. By the eighteen eighties, strikes organized by 113 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: labor unions were commonplace. In eighteen eighty four, the Federation 114 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, the predecessor of the 115 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: American Federation of Labor, passed a resolution saying that a 116 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: legal work day would be eight hours beginning May first, 117 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty six. Since the legislative action had failed to 118 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: help them achieve this goal, the resolution called for a 119 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: general strike. Chicago emerged as a national center for the 120 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: eight hour movement. As the city's mayor, Carter Harrison was 121 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: sympathetic to labor issues. During his time in office, he 122 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: saw a lot of labor unrest, and he often restrained 123 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: police from intervening in strikes. Despite the fact that many 124 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: labor leaders opposed strikes, thousands of workers participated in strikes 125 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: and rallies across the US On May one, eight six 126 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: in Chicago, the general strikes started off as peaceful, but 127 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: on May third, a strike at the McCormick Harvesting Machine 128 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: Company plant turned violent when strikers clashed with strike breakers. 129 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: The Chicago police fired on the crowd, killing or wounding 130 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: several of the demonstrators. In response to this incident, labor 131 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 1: activists called for a rally the next day at a 132 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: Haymarket Square. Mayor Harrison attended the rally on May fourth, 133 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: where labor activist August Bees and anarchists Albert Parsons were 134 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: some of the people to give beaches. Somewhere between several 135 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: hundred and a few thousand people were in the crowd. 136 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: Harrison declared that the rally was not a threat, but 137 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: police officers remained nearby. By the time the Methodist preacher 138 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 1: and labor activists Samuel Fielden began to speak, the weather 139 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: was getting worse and much of the crowd had already left, 140 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: But near the end of the rally, a group of 141 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: officers showed up to disperse the crowd. An unknown person 142 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: through a dynamite bomb near the police, and the police 143 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: began to fire into the crowd. In the chaos that ensued, 144 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: seven officers and around four workers were killed. It's been 145 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: estimated that at least one people were injured in the 146 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: Haymarket riot. The incident triggered anti labor and anti immigrant sentiments. 147 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: That August, eight men were sentenced to death or time 148 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: in prison for the bombing, even though no solid evidence 149 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: linked them to the incident. The press depicted the men 150 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: as violent anarchists. Some people condemned them as radical, while 151 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: others viewed them as martyrs. Three of the men were 152 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: later pardoned. People also began to blame the Knights of 153 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,439 Speaker 1: Labor for the Haymarket affair, associating the organization with violence 154 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: and anarchism. Membership in the Nights declined as workers began 155 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: flogging to the American Federation of Labor. The labor movement 156 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: continued to advocate for the eight hour work day. Different 157 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: industries reduced working hours until the New Deal's Fair Labor 158 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: Standards Act provided for a forty hour work week. In 159 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: n I'm Eve Jeff Cote and hopefully you know a 160 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: little more about history today than you did yesterday. And 161 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: if you have any suggestions for the show or any 162 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: other comments, you can hit us on social media where 163 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: at t d I h C Podcast. You can also 164 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: send us a note via email at this Day at 165 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com. Thanks again for listening to 166 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: the show and we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts 167 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 168 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.