The story that inspired the beloved musical Newsies
Newsboys' strike of 1899
THESIS
July 18 - August 2
New York City
NEWSBOYS GO ON STIRKE
Many publishers reduced the price back to the original 50¢, while papers such as The Evening World and New York Evening Journal kept the new price. Through the strike, the newsboys successfully persuaded the public to support their union and not buy the newspapers. After leaders stepped down from positions in the union, the newsboys compromised with the two publishers.
Publishers raise the price of their papers
Following the increasing sales of papers due to the Spanish-American war in 1898, mulitple publishers raised their prices from 50¢ to 60¢ per 100 papers.
Cease strike
Compromise
Both the World and the Journal would keep their prices at 60¢ per bundle of 100 papers, but they would buy back any unsold papers.
The newsboys accepted the compromise and disbanded the union on August 2, 1899.
The events leading up to the Newsboys' Strike of 1899 - multiple strikes and disputes prior to the famous conflict
Strikes and disputes through the 1880s
'de man'gers can't find no one to cirkelate de papers. Say, we's winnin' easy.'
Before the strike of 1899, there were several other notable strikes in the years 1886, 1887, and 1889. An article from 1886 in the Savannah Morning News recorded, "the newsboys struck on the Evening News, demanding two papers for a cent instead of one... The Journal is free from trouble." Another article from 1887 in The Omaha Daily Bee described the reasons for that year's strike: "The grievance that the newsboys have is that they have had the price of the sheet raised on them."
An article in The Times covering the strike of 1889 describes actions from the newsboys during the early days of the strike as "aggressive" ("several strikers attacked a youngster on Frankfort Street this morning"). This particular article appears to have painted the newsboys involved in the strike as dangerous, in favor of publishers like the Journal and the World.
Relevant data
Numbers that describe the newsboy strike of 1899
Newsboys and newsgirls across New York City became involved in the strikes against the big-time publishers.
The Newsboys' Strike of 1899 lasted all of two weeks, but that was long enough to cause Pulitzer's New York World to decrease newpaper circulation from 360,000 papers sold per day to 125,000.
$$$
5K+
65%
Publishers tried to buy off strike leaders for $300-$600 dollars apiece ($11,935-$23,871 in 2026)
newsboys and girls were involved in the strikes of 1899
decrease in papers sold per day by Pulitzer's New York World
Racetrack Higgins
David Simmons
Kid Blink
Early Days of the Strike
David Simmons was president of the newsboy union at the beginning of the strike but became the treasurer after being accused of betraying the strike later on. Additionally, he was a well-known amateur fighter at local athletic clubs.
18 year old Louis "Kid" Blink was the face of the Newsboys strike. Several newspapers recorded the speeches he gave at rallies, one of which won an award for best speech of the evening.
In the early days of the strike, the newsboys' methods of protest were violent. Any man or boy found selling the boycotted newspapers were mobbed and beaten by fellow newsboys, but "A feller can't soak a lady," as said by union leader Kid Blink.
Ed "Racetrack" Higgins was the leader of the Brooklyn union. Higgins was known as being just as charismatic a speaker as Kid Blink.
Rally at Irving Hall: Involving the Influential
On July 24, 1899, a rally was held at Irving Hall, where 7,000+ newsboys from across New York City attended
Other speeches were made by various members and leaders of the union (Kid Blink was awarded a floral horseshoe for the best speech of the night). Following the rally, the actions of the newsboys became non-violent, but the strike was still effective due to the amount of public support (people who chose not to buy the papers).
The rally at Irving Hall was sponsered by state senator, Timothy D. Sullivan. Additionally, many local politicians and businessmen attended the rally and addressed the crowd. After the professionals had finished speaking, union president David Simmons took the stand to tell the newsboys that the strike was to continue until the papers had reduced their prices. He also called for less-violent methods of protest.
Rumors
Rumors began to swirl that both Kid Blink and David Simmons had abandoned the strike that they had been leading since its birth
"All i can say, boys, is to stick together and we'll win. that's all i've got to say to you."
That night, Kid Blink was chased through the streets of New York City by a group of newsboys angry over the rumors. Blink was arrested for disorderly conduct by an officer that assumed he was the leader of the boys. He was fined and released.
On July 26, 1899, rumors began to spread that both Kid Blink and David Simmons had been selling the boycotted newspapers in exchange for a bribe from the newspaper executives. Though both boys denied the tales, reports note that Kid Blink had been wearing clothes a bit nicer than usual. In response to the rumors, both Blink and Simmons resigned from their leadership positions in the union, but were still involved.
- Annie Kelly
One of the few newswomen loyal to the strike; only woman to speak at Irving Hall
The end of the strike: rumors and comprimisation with the big names
Events following Kid Blink and David Simmons' disgrace
'The strike leaders insist that... the union must be recognized by the company.' - The Evening Bulletin
After the rumors about Kid Blink and David Simmons' desertaion from the cause, the newsboys' faith in leadership and unity was diminished. New leaders stepped up to fill positions, but none were as influential as the previous. On August 1, 1899, the newsboys were offered a compromise from both the Journal and the World papers. The price of one hundred papers would remain at 60¢, but the companies would buy back any unsold papers.
The newsboys of New York City accepted this compromise, ending the strike on August 2, 1899.
CONCLUSION
Reasons and results
The story of the strike inspired the beloved 1992 Disney musical "Newsies." The story remained close to real history, and included a character names Kid Blink who wore an eyepatch in likeness to the real boy, but the leader of the strike's name was Jack Kelly. The musical was adapted for Broadway in 2011, and remained on broadway until August 24, 2014 (just over 115 years since the end of the strike).
The Newsboys strike of 1899 was influential
The newsboys of New York City decided to strike because of the way that newspaper owners Jospeh Pulitzer and William Hearst compestated their advertisers.
Effects of the strike
The strike's success
The New York City newsboys' strike inspired other newsboy strikes across the country for years (into the 1920s!). The introduction of child protection practices eventually helped the newsboys' quality of life.
Though the newspapers never lowered their price for selling the newspapers to the boys, they did offer full buyback to keep the newsboys from having to work late into the night to make profit.
Works Cited
Savannah Morning News. (Savannah, GA) 20 Apr. 1886, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn82015137/1886-04-20/ed-1/.Omaha Daily Bee. (Omaha, NE) 3 Jul. 1887, p. 8. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn99021999/1887-07-03/ed-1/.The Times. (Washington, DC) 23 Jul. 1899, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn85054468/1899-07-23/ed-1/.The Sun. (New York, NY) 25 Jul. 1899, p. 2. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn83030272/1899-07-25/ed-1/. “Newsboys’ Strike of 1899.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsboys%27_strike_of_1899?scrlybrkr=78fd2c1c. The Evening Bulletin. (Maysville, KY) 27 Jul. 1899, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn87060190/1899-07-27/ed-1/.
Newsboys' strike of 1899
Claire Marshall
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Transcript
The story that inspired the beloved musical Newsies
Newsboys' strike of 1899
THESIS
July 18 - August 2
New York City
NEWSBOYS GO ON STIRKE
Many publishers reduced the price back to the original 50¢, while papers such as The Evening World and New York Evening Journal kept the new price. Through the strike, the newsboys successfully persuaded the public to support their union and not buy the newspapers. After leaders stepped down from positions in the union, the newsboys compromised with the two publishers.
Publishers raise the price of their papers
Following the increasing sales of papers due to the Spanish-American war in 1898, mulitple publishers raised their prices from 50¢ to 60¢ per 100 papers.
Cease strike
Compromise
Both the World and the Journal would keep their prices at 60¢ per bundle of 100 papers, but they would buy back any unsold papers.
The newsboys accepted the compromise and disbanded the union on August 2, 1899.
The events leading up to the Newsboys' Strike of 1899 - multiple strikes and disputes prior to the famous conflict
Strikes and disputes through the 1880s
'de man'gers can't find no one to cirkelate de papers. Say, we's winnin' easy.'
Before the strike of 1899, there were several other notable strikes in the years 1886, 1887, and 1889. An article from 1886 in the Savannah Morning News recorded, "the newsboys struck on the Evening News, demanding two papers for a cent instead of one... The Journal is free from trouble." Another article from 1887 in The Omaha Daily Bee described the reasons for that year's strike: "The grievance that the newsboys have is that they have had the price of the sheet raised on them."
An article in The Times covering the strike of 1889 describes actions from the newsboys during the early days of the strike as "aggressive" ("several strikers attacked a youngster on Frankfort Street this morning"). This particular article appears to have painted the newsboys involved in the strike as dangerous, in favor of publishers like the Journal and the World.
Relevant data
Numbers that describe the newsboy strike of 1899
Newsboys and newsgirls across New York City became involved in the strikes against the big-time publishers.
The Newsboys' Strike of 1899 lasted all of two weeks, but that was long enough to cause Pulitzer's New York World to decrease newpaper circulation from 360,000 papers sold per day to 125,000.
$$$
5K+
65%
Publishers tried to buy off strike leaders for $300-$600 dollars apiece ($11,935-$23,871 in 2026)
newsboys and girls were involved in the strikes of 1899
decrease in papers sold per day by Pulitzer's New York World
Racetrack Higgins
David Simmons
Kid Blink
Early Days of the Strike
David Simmons was president of the newsboy union at the beginning of the strike but became the treasurer after being accused of betraying the strike later on. Additionally, he was a well-known amateur fighter at local athletic clubs.
18 year old Louis "Kid" Blink was the face of the Newsboys strike. Several newspapers recorded the speeches he gave at rallies, one of which won an award for best speech of the evening.
In the early days of the strike, the newsboys' methods of protest were violent. Any man or boy found selling the boycotted newspapers were mobbed and beaten by fellow newsboys, but "A feller can't soak a lady," as said by union leader Kid Blink.
Ed "Racetrack" Higgins was the leader of the Brooklyn union. Higgins was known as being just as charismatic a speaker as Kid Blink.
Rally at Irving Hall: Involving the Influential
On July 24, 1899, a rally was held at Irving Hall, where 7,000+ newsboys from across New York City attended
Other speeches were made by various members and leaders of the union (Kid Blink was awarded a floral horseshoe for the best speech of the night). Following the rally, the actions of the newsboys became non-violent, but the strike was still effective due to the amount of public support (people who chose not to buy the papers).
The rally at Irving Hall was sponsered by state senator, Timothy D. Sullivan. Additionally, many local politicians and businessmen attended the rally and addressed the crowd. After the professionals had finished speaking, union president David Simmons took the stand to tell the newsboys that the strike was to continue until the papers had reduced their prices. He also called for less-violent methods of protest.
Rumors
Rumors began to swirl that both Kid Blink and David Simmons had abandoned the strike that they had been leading since its birth
"All i can say, boys, is to stick together and we'll win. that's all i've got to say to you."
That night, Kid Blink was chased through the streets of New York City by a group of newsboys angry over the rumors. Blink was arrested for disorderly conduct by an officer that assumed he was the leader of the boys. He was fined and released.
On July 26, 1899, rumors began to spread that both Kid Blink and David Simmons had been selling the boycotted newspapers in exchange for a bribe from the newspaper executives. Though both boys denied the tales, reports note that Kid Blink had been wearing clothes a bit nicer than usual. In response to the rumors, both Blink and Simmons resigned from their leadership positions in the union, but were still involved.
- Annie Kelly
One of the few newswomen loyal to the strike; only woman to speak at Irving Hall
The end of the strike: rumors and comprimisation with the big names
Events following Kid Blink and David Simmons' disgrace
'The strike leaders insist that... the union must be recognized by the company.' - The Evening Bulletin
After the rumors about Kid Blink and David Simmons' desertaion from the cause, the newsboys' faith in leadership and unity was diminished. New leaders stepped up to fill positions, but none were as influential as the previous. On August 1, 1899, the newsboys were offered a compromise from both the Journal and the World papers. The price of one hundred papers would remain at 60¢, but the companies would buy back any unsold papers.
The newsboys of New York City accepted this compromise, ending the strike on August 2, 1899.
CONCLUSION
Reasons and results
The story of the strike inspired the beloved 1992 Disney musical "Newsies." The story remained close to real history, and included a character names Kid Blink who wore an eyepatch in likeness to the real boy, but the leader of the strike's name was Jack Kelly. The musical was adapted for Broadway in 2011, and remained on broadway until August 24, 2014 (just over 115 years since the end of the strike).
The Newsboys strike of 1899 was influential
The newsboys of New York City decided to strike because of the way that newspaper owners Jospeh Pulitzer and William Hearst compestated their advertisers.
Effects of the strike
The strike's success
The New York City newsboys' strike inspired other newsboy strikes across the country for years (into the 1920s!). The introduction of child protection practices eventually helped the newsboys' quality of life.
Though the newspapers never lowered their price for selling the newspapers to the boys, they did offer full buyback to keep the newsboys from having to work late into the night to make profit.
Works Cited
Savannah Morning News. (Savannah, GA) 20 Apr. 1886, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn82015137/1886-04-20/ed-1/.Omaha Daily Bee. (Omaha, NE) 3 Jul. 1887, p. 8. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn99021999/1887-07-03/ed-1/.The Times. (Washington, DC) 23 Jul. 1899, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn85054468/1899-07-23/ed-1/.The Sun. (New York, NY) 25 Jul. 1899, p. 2. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn83030272/1899-07-25/ed-1/. “Newsboys’ Strike of 1899.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsboys%27_strike_of_1899?scrlybrkr=78fd2c1c. The Evening Bulletin. (Maysville, KY) 27 Jul. 1899, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn87060190/1899-07-27/ed-1/.