Late on the evening of March 17th, 1970, 1,551 rank-and-file letter carriers in New York City did something that had never been done before. In an ultimate act of civil disobedience, they voted to strike against the federal government, igniting an illegal work stoppage that spread across the country like wildfire, crippling the nation’s postal system. Eight days in March of 1970 marked the tipping point for what had been a decades-long struggle for equality and respect. It was the nation's largest-ever wildcat strike, forcing President Richard Nixon to come to the table. As a result, letter carriers earned a significant raise, collective bargaining rights and the respect of a nation, shaping a brighter future for themselves and for those who came after them.