Bill Haywood

Bill Haywood was a leader for workers.

He worked in many mines. He also worked as a cowboy.

He wanted all workers to be one big team. He helped start a group called the IWW.

This group helped many people.

Some people were not happy with him. They took him to court.

But the jury said he was not guilty.

Later, he had to go to jail. He spent many years away from home. He lived in a far land at the end of his life. He was a man who fought for his friends.

Bill Haywood was a famous leader for workers.

He was born in 1869 in Utah. When he was nine, he hurt his eye with a knife. He was blind in that eye for the rest of his life.

As a young man, Bill worked in many mines. He also worked as a cowboy. He saw how hard life was for workers. He wanted all workers to be one big team.

This idea was called industrial unionism. He helped start a group called the IWW. The IWW brought workers together from many different jobs.

Some people thought Bill was dangerous. They took him to court in 1907.

They accused him of being part of a crime. But a jury said he was not guilty.

Later, things became very hard. In 1918, he was sent to jail for twenty years.

While he was out on appeal, he fled to the Soviet Union. He lived there until he died in 1928.

He is buried near the Kremlin wall.

Bill Haywood was a famous leader for American workers.

He was born in 1869 in Salt Lake City, Utah. When he was nine years old, he hurt his eye with a knife. This accident left him blind in that eye forever. He never used a glass eye to replace it. Instead, he would turn his head to show his left profile in photos. As a young man, he worked as a cowboy and a miner. These jobs showed him how hard life could be for workers.

Haywood wanted to change how workers organized themselves. Most groups at the time were craft unions. These groups only included people with the same specific skill. Haywood believed in something called industrial unionism. He wanted all workers in one industry to be in one union. This idea was also called syndicalism. He believed all workers should be united regardless of their job. This would give them more power to help one another. He also thought workers should use direct action to reach their goals.

In 1905, Haywood helped start a new group. This group was called the Industrial Workers of the World, or the IWW.

He spoke to a large crowd at a convention in Chicago. Many different types of workers were there to listen. Some were miners, and others were socialists or anarchists. Haywood wanted to free the working class from the control of capitalism. He believed workers should have control over the machines they used. This group became very active in the labor movement for many years.

Some people in power thought Haywood was dangerous. In 1907, he faced a very famous murder trial in Idaho.

Prosecutors accused him of being involved in the death of Frank Steunenberg. A man named Harry Orchard confessed to the crime. However, a lawyer named Clarence Darrow defended Haywood in court. Darrow showed that Orchard had a history of working for both sides. After nine hours of thinking, the jury said Haywood was not guilty. This trial made Haywood a well-known person across the country.

Later in his life, Haywood faced more hard times. In 1918, he was jailed during a time called the First Red Scare. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison.

While he was out on an appeal, he fled to the Soviet Union. He lived there for the rest of his life. He died in 1928. He is one of only five Westerners buried at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

William Dudley Haywood, known as "Big Bill," was a central figure in the American labor movement.

Born in 1869 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, he faced many challenges early in life. His father died of pneumonia when Haywood was only three years old. At age nine, an accident involving a knife left him permanently blind in his right eye. He chose not to use a glass eye to replace it. Instead, he would tilt his head to show his left profile in photographs.

Haywood’s career began in the rugged world of manual labor. He worked as a cowboy and a homesteader before returning to the mines in 1896. His interest in labor rights grew after witnessing major events like the Pullman Strike of 1894. In 1896, he joined the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) after hearing a speech by Ed Boyce. Haywood rose quickly through the WFM ranks. By 1900, he served on the General Executive Board. By 1902, he was the secretary-treasurer, making him the second most powerful person in the union.

During his time with the WFM, Haywood witnessed the Colorado Labor Wars of 1903 and 1904. This violent struggle in the Cripple Creek mining district resulted in the deaths of 33 workers. These events shaped his political philosophy. Haywood began to advocate for industrial unionism and syndicalism. Craft unions, like the American Federation of Labor (AFL), organized workers by specific skills or trades. In contrast, Haywood wanted "One Big Union." He believed all workers in a single industry should belong to one organization, regardless of their specific job or ethnicity. This would provide the working class with much greater economic power.

In 1905, Haywood helped lead the creation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

During the founding convention in Chicago, Haywood addressed a massive crowd of delegates. These included socialists, anarchists, and various industrial workers. He declared that the IWW's goal was the emancipation of the working class from the "slave bondage of capitalism." He argued that workers should control the machinery of production and distribution. The IWW became a very aggressive force in labor struggles across the country.

Haywood's radical views made him a target for legal action. In 1907, he was involved in a high-profile murder trial in Boise, Idaho.

Prosecutors accused Haywood and other WFM leaders of conspiracy in the death of Frank Steunenberg. A man named Harry Orchard confessed to the murder via an explosion. However, investigators used pressure and promises of rewards to obtain Orchard's confession. The defense, led by the famous attorney Clarence Darrow, argued that Orchard was an unreliable informant. Darrow highlighted that Orchard had worked for both labor and mine owners. After nine hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted Haywood of all charges.

Despite his legal victory, Haywood continued to face government opposition. During the First Red Scare in 1918, he was one of 101 IWW members jailed. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison. While he was out on an appeal of his conviction, Haywood made the decision to flee the United States. In 1921, he traveled to the Soviet Union. He remained there for the rest of his life, living through a period of massive global political change.

Haywood died in 1928 while living in the Soviet Union. His legacy is unique among Western labor leaders. He is one of only five Westerners buried at the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

Throughout his life, Haywood remained committed to direct action and the unity of all workers. He famously believed that the best way to influence capitalism was to "harpoon him in the pocketbook." His life reflected the intense struggles between organized labor and industrial power in the early 20th century.