MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History August 14, 1850: A squatters' riots occurred in Sacramento, California. At the time, Sacramento was an unincorporated territory, seized from Mexico as a spoil of the Mexican-American War. Many people had moved to the region for the gold rush, resulting in land speculation and skyrocketing rents. The squatters challenged the right of John Sutter's Mexican-era claim to the Sacramento Valley and vowed to defend their claims by force. They created their own militia, consisting of dozens of men. The property owners called in the regional militia, with over 500 men. 2 squatters and 3 militiamen died in the battles, as well as 2 bystanders. </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/squat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>squat</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/housing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>housing</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sacramento" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sacramento</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/massacre" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>massacre</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/riot" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>riot</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/gold" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gold</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/speculation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>speculation</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/landlords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>landlords</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/homeless" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>homeless</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/rent" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>rent</span></a></p>