Vigilante Committees: Difference between revisions

(new page)
 
mNo edit summary
 
(3 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>Historical Essay</font></font> </font>'''
''by Ben Ratliff''
[[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 9: Line 15:
1856: 2nd Vigilante Committee
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. After hanging two more undesirables and running quite a few others out of town, the Vigilance Committee disbanded once more.
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 [[For_Whom_the_Belle_Toils:|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.  
 
[[Image:Downtwn1%24ft-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!"
"These hooligans are deserters and shirkers, they deserve our scorn and punishment!"
Line 15: Line 29:
1877: Committee of Safety/Pick-Handle Brigade
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."
"Law and Order" citizens come together to defeat [[The Workingmen’s Party & The Dennis Kearney Agitation|rioting mobs]] bent on destroying property related to Chinese labor. "This time the US Navy backed us when we imposed a temporary martial law."


''-- Ben Ratliff''


[[Law and Order Committee | Prev. document]] [[The_Gold_Rush_Financiers:_Pioche_and_Robinson|Next document]]
[[Law and Order Committee | Prev. document]] [[The_Gold_Rush_Financiers:_Pioche_and_Robinson|Next document]]




[[category:Power and Money]][[category:crime]]
[[category:Power and Money]][[category:crime]][[category:downtown]] [[category:1850s]] [[category:1870s]]

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