Back in the 1800s, matches were a huge deal. In the days before electricity, you needed matches to light your candles, your lamps, your stove so you could cook, and even your fireplace so you wouldn’t freeze to death. Many considered matches to be the most important item in the home. But… ironically… the history of matches is dark. Making matches often led to slow, painful deaths. And workers who didn’t die had to live with brutal, face-altering injuries for the rest of their lives. And, it led to a legendary strike that changed worker’s rights forever.