May 12

Organized by the Trades Union Congress to support coal miners facing wage cuts and longer working hours, the strike began on May 3, 1926. Workers across transport, printing, and other key industries ceased work, bringing many public services to a halt. The British government mobilized volunteers and emergency measures to maintain essential supplies. As shortages grew and public support waned, the TUC voted to call off the strike on May 12 without securing miners’ demands. Although miners continued to battle independently, the episode exposed deep class tensions and influenced future labor legislation in interwar Britain.

The AAA aimed to combat agricultural overproduction during the Great Depression by paying farmers to reduce crop acreage and slaughter excess livestock. Funded through new taxes on food processors, it granted subsidies to growers who left land unplanted. The Act created the Agricultural Adjustment Administration to oversee implementation and ensure compliance. While it succeeded in raising farm incomes, it drew criticism for displacing tenant farmers and sharecroppers. In 1936, the Supreme Court ruled key provisions unconstitutional, prompting FDR to propose judicial reforms. The AAA laid the groundwork for future federal involvement in farm price supports and rural policy.