In the early days of the Homestead strike, journalists emphasized the order and control that seemed to hold together skilled and unskilled striking workers in Pittsburgh. Workers had a strict code of conduct and acted as “trained soldiers.” However, as workers became aggressive, the self-restraint worker was now depicted as a “savage” for their aggressive behavior. As the Homestead strike escalated, the media depicted working men who were once viewed a “Herculean figures” as weak, as many were trying to avoid the shooting. As the Pinkertons surrendered, the press focused on details of violence and mayhem that workers inflicted on them. Workers were further seen as “savages” as they used gauntlet practices on the Pinkertons by beating and harassing
