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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 4 |
| 1886 | 2 |
| 1887 | 5 |
15 stories matching slave
- Grinding Wheat in a Coffee Mill
A pioneer’s recollection of early survival in Western Washington reveals a harsh reality of isolation, lack of basic goods, and the brutal collision of cultures on the frontier.
- The 'Committee of Fifteen' and the Struggle Against Chinese Labor in Tacoma
An archival look at the exclusionary 1886 resolution that fueled the violent campaign to purge Chinese residents from Tacoma.
- The Brutal Reality of Convict Leasing in the Washington Territory
A scathing look at the state's profit-driven 'convict lease' system, where human beings were treated as disposable capital and exploited for labor with zero accountability for their survival.
- The Rising Voice of the Labor Movement in 1885
As Seattle's local assembly of the Knights of Labor gains traction, General Master Workman T.V. Powderly outlines a vision for the 'complete emancipation of the slaves of the earth' from the tyranny of capital.
- The Miner’s Dignity: When Newcastle Stood Against the Clock
A tense standoff at the Newcastle coal mines reveals the human cost of industrial efficiency and a worker's refusal to be 'watched like a slave.'
- The Schoolteacher vs. The Coal Baron
An outspoken Newcastle teacher risks his career to confront the Oregon Improvement Company over its brutal labor practices and the displacement of local widows.
- The Iron Tyrant’s Threat
A railroad official threatens to punish Seattle merchants for supporting the forfeiture of company land grants.
- Knights of Labor Declare War on Monopoly
Assembly 101 releases a manifesto against Jay Gould, framing the labor struggle as a historic battle for the future of the working class.
- The Forgotten Women of the 1887 Labor Convention
A rare glimpse of women organizers taking the floor at an early Seattle-area political gathering, challenging the 'monopolists' of the Gilded Age.
- Whitman County Farmers Declare 'War' on Northern Pacific Monopoly
Protesting settlers in Eastern Washington demand Congress seize 'unearned' lands from a 'soulless corporation' accused of land-grabbing and labor exploitation.
- The Shadow Over Seattle's Early Growth
A vitriolic 1881 congressional speech from Thomas H. Brents reveals the dark, exclusionary labor politics that defined the foundations of the Pacific Northwest.
- A Marriage Held at Gunpoint
A Seattle woman files for divorce, revealing a harrowing home life where her husband enforced isolation with a revolver and staged nightly terrors.
- The Man Who Walked the Entire Union
A formerly enslaved man recounts his epic, cross-country trek to the Puget Sound, fueled by a simple curiosity to see the nation for himself.
- The Price of a Performance
Traveling theatrical manager Mattie Boyd pays a hefty $1,700 penalty to the Northern Pacific Railroad after a new interstate commerce law threatens to ruin her season.
- Seattle’s Post Office Was a Public Nuisance
Letters sat for a day, stamps ran short, and clerks were worked to exhaustion while the postmaster earned about $85 a month. In 1883, Seattle’s mail service was barely functioning.