Tractorcade, All Things Considered, 02/05/1979MARCHING ON WASHINGTONIn February 1979, All Things Con

Tractorcade,All Things Considered, 02/05/1979

MARCHING ON WASHINGTON

In February 1979, All Things Considered visited the National Mall to record a spectacle known as Tractorcade. A convoy of farmers from the American Agriculture Movement drove their tractors thousands of miles in winter conditions from places like Texas, Ohio and Colorado, to rally in support of farmworkers’ rights to earn a living wage.

“The way we…bring our point across…is by bringing the tractor. The tractor is out of place in Washington, D.C.”

- A member of the 1979 tractor convoy

The digital preservation of this audio has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Researcher Laura Garbes contributed to this post.

Image: Bill Wilson / 1979. Reprinted with permission of the DC Public Library, Star Collection © Washington Post.