Most monuments commemorate famous individuals or national victories; others mark when settlers arrive, but few mark the places where common people sparked a revolt with world-wide consequences.
But this simple monument in Chicago, in the form of a crude cart that once served as a speakers’ platform, marks such a spot, the Haymarket Square street corner in Chicago, where in 1886 a rally for the 8-hour workday was attacked by police and broken up, with several workers killed.
The event sparked interest and solidarity around the world, powered a movement for shorter hours and better pay around the world, and helped build the labor movement in many countries, where the anniversary is celebrated as May Day.
Time moved on, expressways were built, Haymarket Square disappeared, and the location, but not the memory faded. In 1992, this monument was created by sculptor Mary Brogger. It is occasionally the site of ceremonies, and its base bears plaques from worker organizations around the world, tributes to the American origin of the world’s May Day celebrations.
