Chicago's Pullman National Monument-- Part 5: Failure of the Strike and Aftermath

But the strike fell short in this attempt, because earlier in the year, the American Railway Union had voted to bar black workers -- like the Pullman Porters -- from joining.

In July, the strike was forcibly crushed by U.S. Army troops.  Debs, along with other leaders of the railway union, was imprisned.

Years later,the Illinois Supreme Court odered the Pullman company to sell its nonindustrial property. Many of the workers then bought their own homes.

But, in the short term, workers didn't see meaningful improvement in their wages or quality of life.  And, the American Railway Union was essentially finished off along with the strike.

--RoadDog