Sinister Chicago by Kali Joy Cramer

Author:Kali Joy Cramer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Globe Pequot
Published: 2020-07-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Lager Beer Riot Immigrant Power against Ethnic Bias

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IS A KEY DEMOCRATIC RIGHT, A CORnerstone of major turning points in American history. Protesting, peaceful or not, has always raised mass awareness, as well as some fear, ultimately impacting the way citizens think, act, and vote. The democratic way has always been about appealing to the majority, refusing to succumb to the harmful beliefs of small extremist groups, and protecting the rights of human beings, regardless of their background, as a whole.

The first civil disturbance in the city of Chicago came in a flash on April 21, 1855. The Lager Beer Riot was a major turning point for political partisanship, mobilizing immigrant voters to make a difference in their communities, especially when under attack from unjust laws created by racist politicians. It was a moment of empowerment, heroism, and community, one that continues to affect the American voting system today.

Prior to the Lager Beer Riot, Chicago’s city elections were counted as disinteresting by the average citizen. A small group of anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic “nativists”—known today as “extremists”—ran the show during election time. Mayors were given office based on their popularity within a small political party called the Know-Nothings, which was primarily interested in moral reform, public order, and privatized municipal services. It was easy to get who they wanted in office without any kind of backlash. The Know-Nothing Party officially called itself the American Party, but it earned the name “Know-Nothings” because members claimed they knew nothing of their own group when asked.

In 1855, the Know-Nothing’s mayoral candidate, Levi Boone, capitalized on their xenophobic motivations, vowing to make major changes in Chicago that would force immigrants out, or at least make them uncomfortable in their own homes, even though most American citizens were once immigrants to the United States.

Boone’s administration wanted immigrants to spend a minimum of twenty-one years in America before applying for citizenship and it certainly didn’t want them running for office. German and Irish immigrants were targeted by American-born citizens both for their ethnicity and their religious differences and were even barred from city jobs during Boone’s term.

Mayor Boone followed through on his campaign promise when he passed a “Law and Order” coalition on March 6, 1855, which was racially biased and altogether cruel to its victims. This meant hiking liquor license fees to $300—equivalent to almost $9,000 in 2020—and shortening the license terms from one year to three months. The goal was to put German- and Irish-owned pubs out of business, eventually driving them out of town.

Knowing there would be counteraction, Boone also made changes to the police force, tripling the number of officers and turning it into a menacing group of uniform-wearing, anti-immigrant oppressors who were instructed to enforce the closing of taverns and saloons on Sundays. This rule was truly enforced only in immigrant communities, primarily German and Irish neighborhoods. This upset the locals in these areas, who labored hard during their six-day work-weeks and communally rested on Sunday afternoons at local bars.

Headstrong

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.