The practice of trying to damage a business or person by refusing to buy from them or supply them with goods and services is named after Charles Boycott, the infamous English manager of an Irish estate.
The action began in 1880 when Boycott evicted Irish tenants who complained about high rents. Outraged by this, merchants and laborers throughout much of Ireland responded by refusing to sell him goods or provide labor. Later, they called it a boycott.
For years, people have engaged in such behavior worldwide, but it wasn't until Charles Boycott came on the scene that it had a name.
Boycotts have targeted events, companies, countries and even municipal services. Some have produced results, while others have been called off after several years with mixed results at best.
Here are a few well-known examples:
Starting in 1955, blacks boycotted the Montgomery, Ala., bus system to protest segregationist policies.
Starting in the 1960s, the United Farm Workers, under César Chávez, launched three separate boycotts of grapes and lettuce to protest working conditions and nonunion wages.
In 1977, health groups launched a boycott against Nestlé for marketing infant formula in Third World countries, which critics said was dangerous because of inadequate instructions and tainted water supplies.
In 1977, gay rights groups boycotted Florida orange juice to protest the campaign of its spokeswoman, Anita Bryant, to restrict the rights of gays and lesbians.
During the 1980s, a variety of groups and governments waged an economic boycott of South Africa to protest its discriminatory policy of apartheid.
In 1980, the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics to protest the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. In 1984, the Soviet Union boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics.
From 1997 to 2005, the Southern Baptist Convention and other conservative Christian groups boycotted Disney to protest "gay days" at theme parks and its policy of providing domestic partner benefits.
From 2005 to 2008, the American Family Association boycotted Ford Motor Co. for advertising in gay publications and contributing to gay pride parades.
This month, the American Family Association launched a boycott of McDonald's for contributing to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Also this month, gay rights groups and their union allies launched a boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Grand Del Mar, two hotels owned by Doug Manchester, because he contributed $125,000 to Proposition 8, a November ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California.
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