Numerous companies, especially the railroad industry, were forced to make many serious wage-cuts and layoff many workers.
The strike began on July 17th, 1877 in Martinsburg, West Virginia.Workers for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad went on strike after receiving another pay cut for the second time that year.
Newspapers began to report cases of starvation and suicide attributed directly to unemployment and poverty; many men were forced to become tramps and wander the state seeking means of survival.
