General strikes have a long history in the U.S.

Last Friday, a “general strike” and “economic blackout” in Minnesota — spearheaded by clergy, unions, and immigrant rights activists — led to businesses across the state shutting their doors. People stayed out of work, hitting the streets to protest.

There have also been widespread calls for a “National Shutdown” on Jan. 30 in solidarity with Minnesota and in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Its tagline? “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.”

Turns out, general strikes have a rich history in America.

Mass work slowdowns and stoppages go back as early as the Civil War, per Peter Rachleff, a labor historian at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

By refusing to work, destroying crops, escaping to join the Union Army, “enslaved men and women profoundly damaged the Southern economy,” he said.

In 1886, there was a nationwide strike, which called for the 8-hour workday. 1934 was a year of general strikes — including in Minneapolis, where the Teamsters joined with unions across industries, supported by neighborhood businesses and residents, setting up “soup kitchens, health care commissaries, mass meetings, and parades,” Rachleff said.

It looked similar to what Minnesotans are doing to support protesters today.

There’s another parallel with history, according to UC-Irvine sociologist David Meyer: “These general strikes come at times of economic privation and crisis — depressions, recessions, shutdowns, slowdowns. Remember, lots of Americans feel left out of the growing GDP right now.”

Today’s economic shutdowns aim to bring pressure on the system from consumers, even more than workers.

And while one day of no shopping might have a limited economic impact, “consumers don’t realize how much power they have,” said Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed. “If they just reduce consumption a little bit — 5%, 10%, 15% — added up across hundreds of millions of people.”

Reed added that that could pressure some big brands to speak out more forcefully on the issues of the day.