Aug 25, 1950, Truman seizes the trains

On August 25, 1950, President Harry Truman issued an executive order putting America’s railroads under the control of the U.S. Army. This was to keep the trains running despite a strike. First, the government had tried to broker a settlement between unions and management, but it was ineffective.The U.S. had just ordered troops to Korea, so Truman wanted the rails strong for moving supplies. Finally, in May 1952, the unions accepted the Truman administration’s terms and went back to work.

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