This Day in History: The Bisbee Deportation
During both World Wars, the loyalty of American citizens was often questioned. The threat from the enemy was so great, that the American people panicked lest any of their own should turn traitor. Any action that seemed in the least suspicious could result in being blacklisted, arrested, or even deported.
100 years ago today, in the mining town of Bisbee, Arizona over one thousand copper mine workers were deported in cattle cars across the New Mexico border. The events leading up to this can certainly be viewed from two different sides; perhaps neither the miners or those who deported them are completely without fault. Regardless of where the blame lies, this story is an example of how wars affect not only the soldiers fighting, but even the ordinary civilian.
During World War 1, the price of copper soared because it was a valuable commodity in fighting the war. Used in machinery, weapons, electrical wiring, etc., copper was needed in great quantities, and thus, the copper mines were a booming business during the early part of the 20th century. Phelps Dodge was the main mining operation in Bisbee, Arizona, and hired a great deal of European immigrants in addition to Arizona residents.
While the mining companies paid good wages for their time, many of the workers complained that the inflation caused by the war made their income practically useless.
In came the unions. The Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) created a list of demands which called for higher wages and better safety precautions. Two men were supposed to work on each machine, rather than alone. This would have resulted in the mining companies having to hire more workers.The Bisbee mining operations refused to comply with the union’s demands. The war efforts offered an excuse for the companies to use whatever means necessary for keeping their business running. Was this right? It is impossible to say. Unions can often paint a bleak picture of poverty and misuse to further their own interests. However, it is also possible that the mining operations were dangerous, and management could have easily instituted safety measures that would have benefited all involved.
On the other hand, there was a war going on! Money was going to be tight. The mine workers were expecting the Bisbee corporations to fix the financial problems caused by war time inflation, which was an entirely ridiculous demand.The tension between the union and the mining management caused a strike to break out. Rumors were started that the unions were influenced by pro-German individuals who were trying to harm the production of copper, and thus weaken the American forces in the war. The scandal continued to grow as people speculated that the mining corporations were racist against the European immigrants who might secretly support America’s
enemies!
The strike was a fairly peaceful one (no one was killed), which makes the behavior of the merchant elite questionable. In order to put an end to what they considered traitorous actions, the sheriff of Bisbee (pictured left) and a posse of the town’s businessmen (concerned with the wellbeing of the copper business) banded together to round up the mine workers and deport them across the border into New Mexico. Stories later surfaced proving the vigilantes guilty of vandalism and unnecessary roughness as they gathered the strikers. No federal or state authorities were called upon to aid in the deportation, even though the posse claimed that their intentions were for the good of the country.
On Jul 12, 1917, the miners were loaded into dirty boxcars, and the train took them Hermanas, New Mexico. The men were held there for many months, with armed guards ensuring that none of them could return to Bisbee. After several months, the authorities were finally brought in to handle the case. President Wilson asked the Federal Mediation Commission to investigate, but their verdict reported that no federal law applied in this instance. The commission did however hold that the IWW was not at fault in the deportation. The State of Arizona viewed many cases against the copper companies, but the final result was “not guilty”.
The outrage over the Bisbee deportation only served to strengthen the labor union efforts against big business. However, this was not a logical reaction, since it was not the mining company owners who instigated the round up; rather, overzealous citizens and biased businessmen used their influence to send the mine workers packing. The war clouded the judgement of all those involved, turning men against each other in the name of patriotism. A war is not simply fought on a battlefield; even the private citizen suffers. The mining companies and the workers had to fight their own war at home.
