Vigilante Committees: Difference between revisions

(PC)
mNo edit summary
 
Line 5: Line 5:
[[Image:Rulclas1%24william-coleman.jpg]]
[[Image:Rulclas1%24william-coleman.jpg]]


'''William Coleman, leader of 1856 Vigilance Committee, and the Pickhandle Brigade of 1877.''' ''Image: San Francisco History Room, San Francisco Public Library''
'''William Coleman, leader of 1856 Vigilance Committee, and the Pickhandle Brigade of 1877.'''  
 
''Image: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library''


1851: 1st Vigilante Committee
1851: 1st Vigilante Committee
Line 17: Line 19:
[[Image:Downtwn1%24ft-gunnybags.jpg]]
[[Image:Downtwn1%24ft-gunnybags.jpg]]


'''Fort Gunnybags at edge of Portsmouth Square, c. 1856.''' ''Image: San Francisco History Room, San Francisco Public Library, SF CA''
'''Fort Gunnybags at edge of Portsmouth Square, c. 1856.'''  
 
''Image: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library''


After hanging two more undesirables and running quite a few others out of town, the Vigilance Committee disbanded once more.
After hanging two more undesirables and running quite a few others out of town, the Vigilance Committee disbanded once more.

Latest revision as of 01:05, 19 January 2009

Historical Essay

by Ben Ratliff

Rulclas1$william-coleman.jpg

William Coleman, leader of 1856 Vigilance Committee, and the Pickhandle Brigade of 1877.

Image: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

1851: 1st Vigilante Committee

"Sometimes decent people have to take things in to their own hands!"

1856: 2nd Vigilante Committee

In May, 1856, the Second Committee of Vigilance formed in response to the assassination of James King of William, a local newspaper editor. James Casey was a corrupt politician who wasn't fond of all the dirt King's paper was digging up on him. Adopting a popular form of grievance resolution at the time, Casey shot King down in the street. Casey was summarily placed in prison with the infamous gambler Charles Cora, who had killed a U.S. Marshal. Town leaders Sam Brannan and William Coleman were afraid that the wrongdoers would beat the rap and quickly marshalled a posse and demanded that the prisoners be released to them. Cora and Casey were given an express trial and hung on the rafters of Fort Gunnybags.

Downtwn1$ft-gunnybags.jpg

Fort Gunnybags at edge of Portsmouth Square, c. 1856.

Image: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

After hanging two more undesirables and running quite a few others out of town, the Vigilance Committee disbanded once more.

"These hooligans are deserters and shirkers, they deserve our scorn and punishment!"

1877: Committee of Safety/Pick-Handle Brigade

"Law and Order" citizens come together to defeat rioting mobs bent on destroying property related to Chinese labor. "This time the US Navy backed us when we imposed a temporary martial law."


Prev. document Next document