Today in History–December 30–the Library of Congress features politician John Peter Altgeld, born on this day in 1847. A lawyer, Altgeld served as a city attorney and a county prosecutor before serving on the bench of Cook County's Superior Court from 1886 to 1891. In 1892 he was elected governor of Illinois. A progressive, Altgeld passed penal and legal system reforms, as well as early child and women’s labor legislation. He is most famous, though, for his June, 1893 pardon of three men … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: Chicago Anarchists & the Haymarket Affair
December 17, 2013 by 2 Comments
Overview Haymarket Affair Digital Collection—presents original manuscripts, broadsides, photographs, prints and artifacts regarding the Haymarket Affair, an 1886 conflict between labor protestors and members of the Chicago police force. Materials document the events leading up to the May 1886 riot, the arrest and trial of those accused of throwing a bomb that killed several police officers, and the appeal process for those convicted of the bombing, including the eventual pardon of those … [Read more...]
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