The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds 705 - Bisbee Deportation - live
Oct 14, 2025
Dive into the tumultuous Bisbee Deportation, where armed vigilantes seized suspected union sympathizers during a miners' strike in 1917. Explore how local companies mobilized citizen leagues and created a massive posse to carry out the deportations. Hear about the harsh conditions detainees faced in boxcars and tent camps, and witness their defiance in the face of oppression. The discussion highlights the long-term impact on labor rights and mass deportation policies, touching on eerie parallels to today's societal issues.
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Corporations Weaponized Wartime Rhetoric
- Corporate owners framed basic miner demands as unpatriotic by claiming a nationwide conspiracy to cut copper for the war.
- That rhetoric justified extreme responses and linked labor organizing to treason in public opinion.
Ballpark Internment Under Armed Vigilantes
- Deputized mobs swelled to thousands and held thousands of men in the Warren Ballpark under armed guard.
- Guards kicked over water and forced many to recant or remain detained in sweltering heat.
Deportation In Manure‑Filled Boxcars
- Captured men were loaded into cattle boxcars coated in manure, denied food and water, and guarded by armed men and machine guns.
- They endured packed, airless rides and were held for days at remote camps.