▁In ▁the ▁immediate ▁after math , ▁the ▁events ▁in ▁Pitts burgh ▁and ▁elsewhere ▁help ▁to ▁solid ify ▁support ▁for ▁various ▁labor ▁groups , ▁which ▁had ▁strugg led ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁dow nt urn . ▁▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁historical ▁markers ▁have ▁since ▁been ▁ere cted ▁at ▁points ▁throughout ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Pitts burgh ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁events ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁during ▁the ▁strik es . ▁ ▁The ▁Long ▁De pression ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁St rik es ▁ ▁The ▁Long ▁De pression , ▁spark ed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁by ▁the ▁Pan ic ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁had ▁far - re aching ▁imp lications ▁for ▁US ▁industry , ▁closing ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁hundred ▁rail ro ads ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁and ▁cutting ▁construction ▁of ▁new ▁rail ▁lines ▁from ▁ ▁of ▁track ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁to ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁ ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁business es ▁failed ▁nation wide ▁between ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁production ▁in ▁iron ▁and ▁steel ▁dropped ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 4 5 ▁percent , ▁and ▁a ▁million ▁or ▁more ▁lost ▁their ▁jobs . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁ 7 6 ▁rail road ▁companies ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁or ▁entered ▁receiver ship ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁alone , ▁and ▁the ▁economic ▁impact s ▁r ipp led ▁through ▁many ▁economic ▁se ctors ▁throughout ▁the ▁industrial ized ▁world . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁summer