Fort Point in San Francisco was built by the U.S. military between 1853 and the 1860’s as a seacoast defense site. At the same time, construction was taking place of what was to become Fort Alcatraz. While this construction was moving forward, laborers were under attack. In the midst of civil war in 1863, a telegram from Washington was read to the laborers cutting their pay. After hearing the telegram, the workers walked out at Fort Point and Alcatraz. This was one of the only labor actions during the Civil War in California, and with the shortage of labor construction workers at the time, laborers were able to make major gains in wages and conditions. The issue of housing and pay led to unrest, a work stoppage, and an eventual strike on all defense projects in the Bay.