▁of ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁t ensions ▁er upt ed ▁across ▁the ▁nation ▁in ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Great ▁Rail road ▁St rike , ▁or ▁simply ▁the ▁Great ▁St rik es . ▁Work ▁sto pp age ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁civil ▁un rest ▁across ▁the ▁nation . ▁Vi ol ence ▁began ▁in ▁Mart ins burg , ▁West ▁Virginia ▁and ▁spread ▁along ▁the ▁rail ▁lines ▁through ▁Baltimore , ▁and ▁on ▁to ▁several ▁major ▁cities ▁and ▁transport ation ▁hub s ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁including ▁Reading , ▁Sc r anton ▁and ▁Sh am ok in , ▁Pennsylvania ; ▁a ▁blood less ▁general ▁strike ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri ; ▁and ▁a ▁short ▁lived ▁u pr ising ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁What ▁began ▁as ▁the ▁peace ful ▁actions ▁of ▁organized ▁labor ▁attract ed ▁the ▁masses ▁of ▁working ▁dis content ▁and ▁un emp loy ed ▁of ▁the ▁de pression , ▁along ▁with ▁others ▁who ▁took ▁opportun istic ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁cha os . ▁In ▁total , ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁participated ▁nation wide . ▁State ▁and ▁federal ▁troops ▁followed ▁the ▁un rest ▁as ▁it ▁spread ▁along ▁the ▁rail ▁lines ▁from ▁city ▁to ▁city . ▁ ▁Pitts burgh ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁prev ail ing ▁feeling ▁in ▁Pitts burgh ▁that ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁suffering ▁from ▁the ▁unf air ▁pr icing ▁of ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Rail road . ▁The ▁rail road ▁was ▁bl amed ▁for ▁cost ing ▁the ▁city ▁its