WHEATLAND HOP RIOT

The 'Wheatland Hop Riot' was one of the most important and well-known events in California labor history. It happened in Wheatland, California and was the second major labor dispute in the United States supposedly initiated by the Industrial Workers of the World. A bloody clash occurred at the Durst Ranch on August 3, 1913, climaxing growing tensions brought about by the difficult conditions farm laborers at the ranch endured. The riot resulted in four deaths and many injuries. It focused public opinion for the first time on the plight of California's agricultural laborers, and resulted in new state legislation to regulate labor camp conditions. A new State Commission on Immigration and Housing was created to help improve working conditions. Beyond that, the Wheatland Hop Riot was the first major farm labor confrontation in California and the harbinger of decades of attempts to organize or control agricultural labor.

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References

References

★ A short history of the Wheatland Hop Riot, 1913 on http://libcom.org

★ LaborNet: The Legacy of Wheatland

★ Historical marker on the site of Durst Hop Ranch, site of the Wheatland Hop Riot].

★ Yuba: California Historical Landmarks No. 1003 Site of the Wheatland Hop Riot of 1913.