Anaconda Road Massacre (1920)
April 21st, 1920

On this day in 1920, an anti-labor posse, deputized by police, gunned down striking miners in Butte, Montana, shooting 15-16 men in the back, killing one. Workers had gone on strike to demand higher wages and an end to anti-union discrimination.

Image: One of Butte’s most famous byways was the Anaconda Road, which remains near the Irish neighborhood of Dublin Gulch. On April 21st, 1920, the road was the site of the anti-labor Anaconda Road Massacre.

Spanish-American War Begins (1898)
April 21st, 1898

On this day in 1898, the Spanish-American War began, greatly expanding the scope of American imperialism, granting the U.S. sovereignty over the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, as well as de facto control of the Cuban economy.