What is Pullman National Historical Park?

Pullman National Historical Park is a historic district located in Chicago and was the first model, planned industrial community in the United States. It was built for George Pullman as a place to produce the famous Pullman sleeping cars.The park was made a national monument by president Barack Obama on February 19, 2015. The district had its origins in the manufacturing plans and organization of the Pullman Company and became one of the most well-known company towns in the United States, as well as the scene of the violent 1894 Pullman strike. During the strike the American Railway Union led by Eugene V. Debs boycotted the company following the panic of 1893 crippling railroad traffic in the United States. Thousands of U.S marshals and army troops were deployed to break up the strike. The strike ultimately changed the American labor landscape showing the power a union could have against an industry.