In 1619, skilled craftsmen in Jamestown—many from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, alongside German and Slovak workers—downed tools with a simple demand: no vote, no work. What followed is widely considered the first recorded labor strike on the continent—and it won.

This episode of Strike: A Brief History of the Workers’ War explains how disenfranchised workers forced the Virginia Company to extend voting rights on July 21, 1619, and why that victory still echoes through fights for representation today. We also acknowledge another defining event in Jamestown that same year—the arrival of enslaved Africans—and recommend The 1619 Project podcast for deeper context.

If you have credible sources on the 1538 Cobblers’ Strike, drop them in the comments—we’d love to feature your findings.

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TikTok, BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook = @americathepodcast

Sources

Wikipedia – “1619 Jamestown craftsmen strike”

Wikipedia – “Jamestown, Virginia”

Encyclopedia Virginia – “Polish Settlers at Early Jamestown”

NALC Director of Education PDF – “The first labor strike in America

Global Nonviolent Action Database – “Polish artisans strike for the right to vote, Jamestown, Virginia, 1619”

Polish Weekly – “Poles Strike in 1619 for the Right to Vote in the Jamestown Colony”

The New York Times - The 1619 Project

Music and Audio

All sounds heard in this episode were sourced through Story Blocks, Freesound.Org, Sonnis, Accusonus, Sound Crate, Infinite, Ghosthack, and Ambient-Mixer.com.

The backing track to this episode is "The Britons" by kmacleod

The show’s theme song was remixed by Timmy II Step.

The original track for the theme song is "Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Strike! A Brief History Of The Workers War” was created by Tim Phillippe and is a production of Shway Media.

On today’s episode of “Strike, we’re traveling back over 3,000 years to Egypt where Pharaoh Ramses III dealt with the first labor strike in recorded history! This is the story of the Deir el-Medina Tomb Workers’ Strike.

Follow for more from the ATP Presents Team!

TikTok, BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook = @americathepodcast

Sources

Wikipedia – “Deir el‑Medina” – Details village structure, legal system, worker status, and living conditions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_el-Medina

Papyrus‑Stories.com – “The first recorded strike in history” – In-depth narrative on the strike’s chronology, sit-in, and grievances. https://papyrus-stories.com/2022/03/15/the-first-recorded-strike-in-history/

Libcom.org – “Record of strike in Egypt under Ramesses III (c.1157 BCE)” – Concise historical summary and dating of multiple Year 29 actions. https://libcom.org/article/records-strike-egypt-under-ramses-iii-c1157bce

The Friday Times – “History’s first recorded strike by workers” – Contextual background on the reign of Ramesses III, economic hardship, and strike implications. https://thefridaytimes.com/27-Jun-2022/history-s-first-recorded-strike-by-workers/

Music and Audio

All sounds heard in this episode were sourced through Story Blocks, Freesound.Org, Sonnis, Accusonus, Sound Crate, Infinite, Ghosthack, and Ambient-Mixer.com.

The backing track is “Night Of Egypt” by waelart

The show’s theme song was remixed by Timmy II Step.

The original track for the theme song is "Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Strike! A Brief History Of The Workers War” was created by Tim Phillippe and is a production of Shway Media.

"Strike" is a short form animated series discussing each labor strike throughout recorded history. Join host Tim Phillippe as he uncovers the history of a new labor every episode.

“Strike” premieres Labor Day 2025 on the “America! The Podcast Presents” YouTube Page and your favorite podcast app!

“Strike! A Brief History Of The Workers’ War” was created by Tim Phillippe and is a production of Shway Media.