Haymarket Martyrs' Monument
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Marker placed in 1997[1]
Location:	Forest Park, Illinois
Coordinates:	41°52′11.24″N 87°49′11.17″W / 41.8697889, -87.8197694Coordinates: 41°52′11.24″N 87°49′11.17″W / 41.8697889, -87.8197694
Built/Founded:	1887
Designated as NHL:	February 18, 1997[2]
Added to NRHP:	February 18, 1997[3]
NRHP Reference#:	97000343
Governing body:	Private

The Haymarket affair (also known as the Haymarket riot or Haymarket massacre) on Tuesday 4 May 1886 in Chicago, began as a rally which became violent and was followed later by internationally publicized legal proceedings. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Forest Park (formerly Harlem) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. An unknown person threw a bomb at police as they marched to disperse a public meeting in support of striking workers. Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. The bomb blast and ensuing gunfire resulted in the deaths of seven police officers and an unknown number of civilians. Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of Eight anarchists were tried for murder. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Four were put to death, and one committed suicide in prison.

The Haymarket affair is generally considered to have been an important influence on the origin of international May Day observances for workers. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour ^[4][5] In popular literature, this event inspired the caricature of "a bomb-throwing anarchist. " The causes of the incident are still controversial, although deeply polarized attitudes separating business and working class people in late 19th century Chicago are generally acknowledged as having precipitated the tragedy and its aftermath. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types The site of the incident was designated as a Chicago Landmark on 25 March 1992. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) ^[6] The Haymarket Martyrs' Monument in nearby Forest Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark on 18 February 1997. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar ^[2]

Strife and confrontation

May Day parade and strikes

In October 1884, a convention held by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions unanimously set May 1, 1886, as the date by which the eight-hour work day would become standard. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada (FOTLU was a federation of labor unions created on November 15, 1881 Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The 8-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement (aka the Short-time movement) had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where ^[7] When May 1, 1886 approached, American labor unions prepared for a general strike in support of the eight-hour day. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country ^[8]

On Saturday, May 1, rallies were held throughout the United States. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. There were an estimated 10,000 demonstrators in New York^[9] and 11,000 in Detroit. ^[10] In Milwaukee, Wisconsin some 10,000 workers turned out. ^[10] The movement's center was in Chicago, where an estimated 40,000 workers went on strike. ^[11] Albert Parsons was an anarchist and founder of the International Working People's Association (IWPA). Albert Richard Parsons (June 20 1848 - November 11 1887 was an anarchist labor activist hanged under doubtful circumstances following a bomb attack on police at the Haymarket Riot Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Parsons, with his wife Lucy and their children, led a march of 80,000 people down Michigan Avenue. Lucy Parsons ( 1853 - March 7, 1942) was a radical American labor organizer Anarchist (and possibly later also Michigan Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago which runs at 100 east (except for one private block that runs at 125 east south of the Chicago River and at 132 East ^[11] Another 10,000 men employed in the lumber yards held a separate march in Chicago. ^[12] Estimates of the total number of striking American workers range from 300,000^[11] to half a million. ^[12]

The flier calling for a rally in the Haymarket on May 4. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV

On May 3, striking workers in Chicago met near the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Cyrus Hall McCormick Sr ( February 15 1809 &ndash May 13 1884) of Rockbridge County Virginia was an American A reaper is a person (or machine who reaps or harvests (cuts and gathers crops when they are ripe plant. Union molders at the plant had been locked out since early February and the predominantly Irish-American workers at McCormick had come under attack from Pinkerton guards during an earlier strike action in 1885. A lockout is a Work stoppage in which an Employer prevents employees from working Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. "We Never Sleep" the famous motto of the Pinkerton Agency redirects here This event, along with the eight-hour militancy of McCormick workers, had gained the strikers some respect and notoriety around the city. By the time of the 1886 general strike, strikebreakers entering the McCormick plant were under protection from a garrison of 400 police officers. A strikebreaker (also called scab or knobstick) is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Although half of the replacement workers defected to the general strike on May 1, McCormick workers continued to harass "scabs" who crossed the picket lines. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Speaking to a rally outside the plant on May 3, August Spies advised the striking workers to "hold together, to stand by their union, or they would not succeed. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João August Vincent Theodore Spies ( December 10, 1855 &ndash November 11, 1887) was an Anarchist labor activist hanged under doubtful "^[13] Well-planned and coordinated, the general strike to this point had remained largely nonviolent. When the end-of-the-workday bell sounded, however, a group of workers surged to the gates to confront the strikebreakers. Despite calls by Spies for the workers to remain calm, gunfire erupted as police fired on the crowd. In the end, six McCormick workers were killed. Spies would later testify, "I was very indignant. I knew from experience of the past that this butchering of people was done for the express purpose of defeating the eight-hour movement. "^[13]

Outraged by this act of police violence, local anarchists quickly printed and distributed fliers calling for a rally the following day at Haymarket Square (also called the Haymarket), which at the time was a bustling commercial center near the corner of Randolph Street and Des Plaines Street. These fliers alleged police had murdered the strikers on behalf of business interests and urged workers to seek justice. One surviving flyer printed in both German and English contains the words Workingmen Arm Yourselves and Appear in Full Force!^[14]

Rally at Haymarket Square

This 1886 engraving was the most widely reproduced image of the Haymarket affair. It mistakenly shows Fielden speaking, the bomb exploding, and the rioting beginning simultaneously. ^[15]

The rally began peacefully under a light rain on the evening of May 4. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV August Spies spoke to the large crowd while standing in an open wagon on Des Plaines Street while a large number of on-duty police officers watched from nearby. August Vincent Theodore Spies ( December 10, 1855 &ndash November 11, 1887) was an Anarchist labor activist hanged under doubtful ^[6] According to witnesses, Spies began by saying the rally was not meant to incite violence. ^[16] Historian Paul Avrich records Spies as saying "[t]here seems to prevail the opinion in some quarters that this meeting has been called for the purpose of inaugurating a riot, hence these warlike preparations on the part of so-called 'law and order. Paul Avrich ( August 4, 1931 - February 16, 2006) was a professor and Historian. ' However, let me tell you at the beginning that this meeting has not been called for any such purpose. The object of this meeting is to explain the general situation of the eight-hour movement and to throw light upon various incidents in connection with it. "^[17]

The crowd was so calm that Mayor Carter Harrison, Sr., who had stopped by to watch, walked home early. Carter Henry Harrison Sr ( February 15 1825 &ndash October 28 1893) was an American politician who served as mayor Samuel Fielden, the last speaker, was finishing his speech at about 10:30 when police ordered the rally to disperse and began marching in formation towards the speakers' wagon. Samuel Fielden ( February 25, 1847 - February 7, 1922) was a socialist, anarchist and labor activist who was ^[18] A bomb was thrown at the police line and exploded, killing policeman Mathias J. Degan. ^[19] The police immediately opened fire. Some workers were armed, but accounts vary widely as to how many shot back. ^[20] The incident lasted less than five minutes. ^[21]

Engraving of police officer Mathias J. Degan, who was killed by the bomb blast.

Several police officers, aside from Degan, appear to have been injured by the bomb, but most of the police casualties were caused by bullets, largely from friendly fire. Friendly fire or non-hostile fire, a term originally adopted by the United States military, refers to fire from one's own side or allied forces as In his report on the incident, John Bonfield wrote he "gave the order to cease firing, fearing that some of our men, in the darkness might fire into each other". ^[22] An anonymous police official told the Chicago Tribune "a very large number of the police were wounded by each other's revolvers. The Chicago Tribune is a major daily Newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and owned by the Tribune Company . . . It was every man for himself, and while some got two or three squares away, the rest emptied their revolvers, mainly into each other. "^[23]

About sixty officers were wounded in the incident along with an unknown number of civilians. In all, seven policemen and at least four workers were killed. ^[24][25] It is unclear how many civilians were wounded since many were afraid to seek medical attention, fearing arrest. Police captain Michael Schaack wrote the number of wounded workers was "largely in excess of that on the side of the police". ^[26] The Chicago Herald described a scene of "wild carnage" and estimated at least fifty dead or wounded civilians lay in the streets. ^[27]

Trial, executions and pardons

Engraving of the seven anarchists sentenced to die for officer Degan's murder. An eighth defendant, not shown here, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Eight people connected directly or indirectly with the rally and its anarchist organizers were arrested afterward and charged with Degan's murder: August Spies, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden and Oscar Neebe. August Vincent Theodore Spies ( December 10, 1855 &ndash November 11, 1887) was an Anarchist labor activist hanged under doubtful Albert Richard Parsons (June 20 1848 - November 11 1887 was an anarchist labor activist hanged under doubtful circumstances following a bomb attack on police at the Haymarket Riot Adolph Fischer (1858 November 11, 1887) was an Anarchist and Labor union activist tried and executed after the Haymarket Riot. George Engel ( April 15, 1836 Cassel, Germany - November 11, 1887) was an Anarchist and Labor union Louis Lingg ( September 9, 1864 November 10, 1887) was a German Anarchist who committed Suicide while in Michael Schwab ( August 9, 1853 – June 29, 1898) was a German-American labor organizer and one of the defendants in the Haymarket Square Samuel Fielden ( February 25, 1847 - February 7, 1922) was a socialist, anarchist and labor activist who was Oscar William Neebe I ( July 12, 1850 &ndash April 22, 1916) was an Anarchist, labor activist and one of the defendants Five (Spies, Fischer, Engel, Lingg and Schwab) were German immigrants while a sixth, Neebe, was a U. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as S. citizen of German descent. The other men, Parsons and Fielden, were born in the U. S. and England respectively. Two other individuals, William Seliger and Rudolph Schnaubelt, were indicted, but never brought to trial. Seliger turned state's evidence and testified for the prosecution, and Schnaubelt fled the country before he could be brought to trial.

The trial started on June 21 and was presided over by Judge Joseph Gary. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Joseph E Gary ( July 9, 1821 – October 31, 1906) was judge who presided over the trial of eight Anarchists tried for their alleged The defense counsel included Sigmund Zeisler, William Perkins Black, William Foster and Moses Salomon. Sigmund Zeisler (1860-1931 was an Austrian born US attorney known for his defense of radicals in Chicago in the 1880s William Perkins Black ( 11 November, 1842 &ndash 3 January, 1916) was a Lawyer and Veteran of the American Civil War The prosecution, led by Julius Grinnell, did not offer evidence connecting any of the defendants with the bombing but argued that the person who had thrown the bomb had been encouraged to do so by the defendants, who as conspirators were therefore equally responsible. The Law of evidence governs the use of Testimony (eg oral or written statements such as an Affidavit) and exhibits (e Albert Parsons' brother claimed there was evidence linking the Pinkertons to the bomb. "We Never Sleep" the famous motto of the Pinkerton Agency redirects here ^[28]

The jury returned guilty verdicts for all eight defendants – death sentences for seven of the men, and a sentence of 15 years in prison for Neebe. The sentencing sparked outrage from budding labor and workers movements, resulted in protests around the world and made the defendants international political celebrities and heroes within labor and radical political circles. Meanwhile the press published often sensationalized accounts and opinions about the Haymarket affair which polarized public reaction. ^[29] In an article titled "Anarchy’s Red Hand", The New York Times, described the incident as the "bloody fruit" of "the villainous teachings of the Anarchists". ^[30][31] The Chicago Times described the defendants as "arch counselors of riot, pillage, incendiarism and murder"; to other newspapers they were "bloody brutes", "red ruffians", "dynamarchists", "bloody monsters", "cowards", "cutthroats", "thieves", "assassins", and "fiends". ^[32] Journalist George Frederic Parsons wrote a piece for The Atlantic Monthly articulating the fears of middle-class Americans concerning labor radicalism, asserting workers had only themselves to blame for their troubles. The Atlantic (formerly known as The Atlantic Monthly) is an American Magazine founded in Boston in 1857 ^[33] Edward Aveling, Karl Marx's son-in-law, remarked, "If these men are ultimately hanged, it will be the Chicago Tribune that has done it". Edward Bibbens Aveling ( 29 November, 1849 &ndash 2 August, 1898) was an English Marxist and partner of Eleanor Marx ^[34]

The case was appealed in 1887 to the Supreme Court of Illinois,^[35] then to the United States Supreme Court where the defendants were represented by John Randolph Tucker, Roger Atkinson Pryor, General Benjamin F. Butler and William P. Black. The Supreme Court of Illinois is the highest judicial court of the state of Illinois. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. John Randolph Tucker ( December 24, 1823 - February 13, 1897) was born in Winchester Virginia, the son of Henry St Roger Atkinson Pryor ( July 19, 1828 &ndash March 14, 1919) was an American Jurist, Politician, newspaper editor Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5 1818 January 11 1893 was an American Lawyer and Politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States William Perkins Black ( 11 November, 1842 &ndash 3 January, 1916) was a Lawyer and Veteran of the American Civil War The petition for certiorari was denied. Certiorari (ˌsɚʃioʊ('rɛri 'rɑri is a legal term in Roman, English, Philippine and American law referring to a type of Writ ^[36]

Utah Phillips speaking at Waldheim Cemetery, Forest Park (outside Chicago) in May 1986 during ceremonies commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Haymarket affair. Bruce "Utah" Duncan Phillips ( May 15 1935 &ndash May 23 2008) was a labor organizer Folk singer, storyteller

After the appeals had been exhausted, Illinois Governor Richard James Oglesby commuted Fielden's and Schwab's sentences to life in prison on November 10, 1887. Richard James Oglesby ( July 25, 1824 April 24, 1899) was a U Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On the eve of his scheduled execution Lingg committed suicide in his cell with a smuggled dynamite cap which he reportedly held in his mouth like a cigar (the blast blew off half his face and he survived in agony for six hours). ^[37]

The next day (November 11, 1887) Spies, Parsons, Fischer and Engel were taken to the gallows in white robes and hoods. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common They sang the Marseillaise, the anthem of the international revolutionary movement. " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France. Family members including Lucy Parsons who attempted to see them for the last time were arrested and searched for bombs (none were found). Lucy Parsons ( 1853 - March 7, 1942) was a radical American labor organizer Anarchist (and possibly later also According to witnesses, in the moments before the men were hanged, Spies shouted, "The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today!"^[38] Witnesses reported that the condemned did not die when they dropped, but strangled to death slowly, a sight which left the audience visibly shaken. Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death ^[38]

Lingg, Spies, Fischer, Engel and Parsons were buried at the German Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. German Waldheim Cemetery, also known as Waldheim Cemetery, was a cemetery in Forest Park, a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Forest Park (formerly Harlem) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Schwab and Neebe were also buried at Waldheim when they died, reuniting the "Martyrs. " In 1893, the Haymarket Martyrs' Monument by sculptor Albert Weinert was raised at Waldheim. Over a century later it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior, the only cemetery memorial to be noted as such. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of The United States Department of the Interior ( DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. A memorial is an object which serves as a memory of something usually a person (who has died or an event

The trial has been characterized as one of the most serious miscarriages of justice in United States history. ^[39] Most working people believed Pinkerton agents had provoked the incident. ^[28] On June 26, 1893, Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld signed pardons for Fielden, Neebe and Schwab after having concluded all eight defendants were innocent. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common John Peter Altgeld ( December 30 1847 - March 12 1902) was the Governor of the U The governor said the real reason for the bombing was the city of Chicago's failure to hold Pinkerton guards responsible for shooting workers. ^[40] The pardons ended his political career.

The police commander who ordered the dispersal was later convicted of corruption. The bomb thrower was never identified. ^[41]

The Haymarket affair and May Day

The Haymarket affair was a setback for American labor and its fight for the eight-hour day. At the convention of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1888 the union decided to campaign for it once again. The American Federation of Labor (AFL was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States May 1, 1890 was agreed upon as the date on which workers would strike for an eight-hour work day. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[42]

This sympathetic engraving by Walter Crane of "the Anarchists of Chicago" was widely-circulated among anarchists, socialists, and labor activists. Walter Crane (15 August 1845 &ndash 14 March 1915 was an English artist and book illustrator

In 1889, AFL president Samuel Gompers wrote to the first congress of the Second International, which was meeting in Paris. Samuel Gompers (January 27 1850 - December 13 1924 was an American labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. The Second International (1889-1916 was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city He informed the world's socialists of the AFL's plans and proposed an international fight for a universal eight-hour work day. ^[43] In response to Gompers's letter the Second International adopted a resolution calling for "a great international demonstration" on a single date so workers everywhere could demand the eight-hour work day. In light of the Americans' plan, the International adopted May 1, 1890 as the date for this demonstration. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[44]

A secondary purpose behind the adoption of the resolution by the Second International was to honor the memory of the Haymarket martyrs and other workers who had been killed in association with the strikes on May 1, 1886. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Historian Philip Foner writes "[t]here is little doubt that everyone associated with the resolution passed by the Paris Congress knew of the May 1st demonstrations and strikes for the eight-hour day in 1886 in the United States . Philip S Foner ( December 14, 1910 - December 13, 1994) was a United States historian and author . . and the events associated with the Haymarket tragedy. "^[44]

The first international May Day was a spectacular success. The front page of the New York World on May 2, 1890 was devoted to coverage of the event. The New York World was a Newspaper published in New York from 1860 until 1931 Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Two of its headlines were "Parade of Jubilant Workingmen in All the Trade Centers of the Civilized World" and "Everywhere the Workmen Join in Demands for a Normal Day. "^[45] The Times of London listed two dozen European cities in which demonstrations had taken place, noting there had been rallies in Cuba, Peru and Chile. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ^[46] Commemoration of May Day became an annual event the following year.

The association of May Day with the Haymarket martyrs has remained particularly strong in Mexico. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Mother Jones was in Mexico on May 1, 1921 and wrote of the "day of 'fiestas'" that marked "the killing of the workers in Chicago for demanding the eight-hour day". Mary Harris Jones ( May 1, 1830 or August 1, 1837 – November 30, 1930) better known as Mother Jones, born in Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar ^[47] In 1929 The New York Times referred to the May Day parade in Mexico City as "the annual demonstration glorifying the memory of those who were killed in Chicago in 1887. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico "^[48] The New York Times described the 1936 demonstration as a commemoration of "the death of the martyrs in Chicago. "^[49] In 1939 Oscar Neebe's grandson attended the May Day parade in Mexico City and was shown, as his host told him, "how the world shows respect to your grandfather". ^[50] An American visitor in 1981 wrote she was embarrassed to explain to knowledgeable Mexican workers that American workers were ignorant of the Haymarket affair and the origins of May Day. ^[51]

The influence of the Haymarket affair was not limited to the celebration of May Day. Emma Goldman was attracted to anarchism after reading about the incident and the executions, which she later described as "the events that had inspired my spiritual birth and growth. Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches " She considered the Haymarket martyrs "the most decisive influence in my existence". ^[52] Alexander Berkman also described the Haymarket anarchists as "a potent and vital inspiration. Alexander Berkman ( November 21 1870 – June 28 1936) was a Russian American writer and a leading member of the anarchist "^[53] Others whose commitment to anarchism crystallized as a result of the Haymarket affair included Voltairine de Cleyre and "Big Bill" Haywood, a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World. William Dudley Haywood (February 4 1869&ndashMay 18 1928 better known as Big Bill Haywood, was a prominent figure in the American labor movement. The Industrial Workers of the World ( IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati Ohio, USA ^[53] Goldman wrote to Max Nettlau that the Haymarket affair had awakened the social consciousness of "hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people". Max Heinrich Hermann Reinhardt Nettlau ( 30 April 1865 &ndash 23 July 1944) was a German Anarchist and Historian ^[54]

Who threw the bomb?

While admitting none of the defendants were involved in the bombing, the prosecution made a very weak argument that Lingg had built the bomb and two prosecution witnesses (Harry Gilmer and Malvern Thompson) tried to imply the bomb thrower was helped by Spies, Fischer and Schwab. ^[55][56] The defendants claimed they had no knowledge of the bomber at all.

Several activists, including Dyer Lum, Voltairine de Cleyre and Robert Reitzel, later hinted they knew who the bomber was. Dyer Daniel Lum was a 19th-century American anarchist labor activist and poet Voltairine de Cleyre ( November 17 1866 June 20 1912) was according to Emma Goldman, "the most gifted and brilliant ^[57] Writers and other commentators have speculated about many possible suspects:

Rudolph Schnaubelt, shown here, was indicted but fled the country. Although the prosecution assumed that he threw the bomb, he did not match eyewitness descriptions given during the trial.

• Rudolph Schnaubelt (1863-1901) was an activist and the brother-in law of Michael Schwab. He was at the Haymarket when the bomb exploded. Schnaubelt was indicted with the other defendants but fled the city and later the country before he could be brought to trial. The prosecution assumed he was the bomb thrower. State witness Gilmer claimed to have seen him throw the bomb, but Schnaubelt did not resemble Gilmer's description of the bomber. Schnaubelt later wrote two letters from London disclaiming all responsibility. He is the most generally-accepted and widely-known suspect mainly because of The Bomb, Frank Harris's 1908 fictionalization of the tragedy. Frank Harris ( February 14, 1856 &ndash August 27, 1931) was a naturalised American Author of British origin editor, Written from Schnaubelt's point of view, the story opens with him confessing on his deathbed. However, Harris's description was fictional and those who knew Schnaubelt vehemently criticized the book. ^[58]
• George Schwab was a German shoemaker who died in 1924. German anarchist Carl Nold claimed he learned Schwab was the bomber through correspondence with other activists but no proof ever emerged. Historian Paul Avrich also suspected him but noted that while Schwab was in Chicago at the time, he had only arrived days before. Paul Avrich ( August 4, 1931 - February 16, 2006) was a professor and Historian. This contradicted statements by others that the bomber was a well-known figure in Chicago. ^[59][60]
• George Meng (b. around 1840) was a German anarchist and teamster who owned a small farm outside of Chicago where he had settled in 1883 after emigrating from Bavaria. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Like Parsons and Spies, he was a delegate at the Pittsburgh Congress and a member of the IWPA. Meng's granddaughter, Adah Maurer, wrote Paul Avrich a letter in which she said that her mother, who was 15 at the time of the bombing, told her that her father was the bomber. Meng died sometime before 1907 in a saloon fire. Based on his correspondence with Maurer, Avrich concluded that there was a "strong possibility" that the little-known Meng may have been the bomber. ^[61]
• An agent provocateur was suggested by some members of the anarchist movement. Albert Parsons believed the bomber was a member of the police or the Pinkertons trying to undermine the labor movement. However, this contradicts the statements of several activists who said the bomber was one of their own. Lucy Parsons and Johann Most both rejected this notion. Johann Joseph Most ( February 5, 1846 March 17, 1906) was a German-American Anarchist and orator who in the late 19th century Dyer Lum said it was "puerile" to ascribe "the Haymarket bomb to a Pinkerton. "^[62]
• A disgruntled worker was widely suspected. When Adolph Fischer was asked if he knew who threw the bomb, he answered, "I suppose it was some excited workingman. " Oscar Neebe said it was a "crank. "^[63] Governor Altgeld speculated the bomb thrower might have been a disgruntled worker who was not associated with the defendants or the anarchist movement but had a personal grudge against the police. In his pardoning statement, Altgeld said the record of police brutality towards the workers had invited revenge adding, "Capt. Bonfield is the man who is really responsible for the deaths of the police officers. "^[64]
• Klemana Schuetz was identified as the bomber by Franz Mayhoff, a New York anarchist and fraudster, who claimed in an affidavit that Schuetz had once admitted throwing the Haymarket bomb. August Wagener, Mayhoff's attorney, sent a telegram from New York to defense attorney Captain William Black the day before the executions claiming knowledge of the bomber's identity. Black tried to delay the execution with this telegram but Governor Oglesby refused. It was later learned that Schuetz was the primary witness against Mayhoff at his trial for insurance fraud, so Mayhoff's affidavit has never been regarded as credible by historians. ^[65]
• Thomas Owen was a carpenter from Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Severely injured in an accident a week before the executions, Owen reportedly confessed to the bombing on his deathbed by saying, "I was at the Haymarket riot and am an anarchist and say that I threw a bomb in that riot. " He was an anarchist and apparently had been in Chicago at the time but other accounts note that long before his accident he had said he was at the Haymarket and saw the bomb thrower. Owen may have been trying to save the condemned men. ^[66]
• Reinold "Big" Krueger was killed by police either in the melee after the bombing or in a separate disturbance the next day and has been named as a suspect but there is no supporting evidence. ^[67][68]
• A mysterious outsider was reported by John Philip Deluse, a saloon keeper in Indianapolis who claimed he encountered a stranger in his saloon the day before the bombing. The man was carrying a satchel and on his way from New York to Chicago. According to Deluse, the stranger was very interested in the labor situation in Chicago, repeatedly pointed to his satchel and said, "You will hear of some trouble there very soon. "^[69] Parsons used Deluse's testimony to suggest the bomb thrower was sent by eastern capitalists. ^[70] Nothing more was ever learned about Deluse's claim.

Haymarket Square in the aftermath

In 1889, a commemorative nine-foot bronze statue of a Chicago policeman by sculptor Johannes Gelert was erected in the middle of Haymarket Square with private funds raised by the Union League Club of Chicago. A Union League is one of a number of organizations established in 1863 and 1864 during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union ^[71] The statue was unveiled on May 30, 1889, by Frank Degan, the son of Officer Mathias Degan. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[72] On May 4, 1927, the 41st anniversary of the Haymarket affair, a streetcar jumped its tracks and crashed into the monument. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train ^[73] The motorman said he was "sick of seeing that policeman with his arm raised". ^[73] The city restored the statue in 1928 and moved it to Union Park. ^[74] During the 1950s, construction of the Kennedy Expressway erased about half of the old, run-down market square, and in 1956, the statue was moved to a special platform built for it overlooking the freeway, near its original location. The Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. ^[74]

The statue was vandalized with black paint on May 4, 1968, the 82nd anniversary of the Haymarket affair, following a confrontation between police and demonstrators at a protest against the Vietnam War. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia ^[75] On October 6, 1969, shortly before the "Days of Rage" protests, the statue was destroyed when a bomb was placed between its legs. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Days of Rage riots in Chicago were organized by the Weathermen (WUO, a militant offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society. Weatherman took credit for the blast, which broke nearly 100 windows in the neighborhood and scattered pieces of the statue onto the Kennedy Expressway below. Weatherman, known colloquially as the Weathermen and later the Weather Underground Organization, was an American Radical left organization ^[76] The statue was rebuilt and unveiled on May 4, 1970 then blown up again by Weatherman on October 6, 1970. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[75][76] The statue was again rebuilt and Mayor Richard J. Daley posted a 24-hour police guard at the statue. Richard Joseph Daley ( May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) served for 21 years as the undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago ^[76] In 1972 it was moved to the lobby of the Central Police Headquarters and in 1976 to the enclosed courtyard of the Chicago police academy. ^[75] For another three decades the statue's empty, graffiti-marked pedestal stood on its platform in the run-down remains of Haymarket Square where it was known as an anarchist landmark. ^[75] On June 1, 2007 the statue was rededicated at Chicago Police Headquarters with a new pedestal. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In 2007, the statue was unveiled by Geraldine Doceka, Officer Mathias Degan's great-granddaughter. ^[72]

During the late 20th century, scholars doing research into the Haymarket affair were surprised to learn that much of the primary source documentation relating to the incident (beside materials concerning the trial) was not in Chicago, but had been transferred to then-communist East Berlin. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990 ^[77]

In 1992, the site of the speakers' wagon was marked by a bronze plaque set into the sidewalk, reading:

A decade of strife between labor and industry culminated here in a confrontation that resulted in the tragic death of both workers and policemen. On May 4, 1886, spectators at a labor rally had gathered around the mouth of Crane's Alley. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A contingent of police approaching on Des Plaines Street were met by a bomb thrown from just south of the alley. The resultant trial of eight activists gained worldwide attention for the labor movement, and initiated the tradition of "May Day" labor rallies in many cities.

Designated on March 25, 1992

Richard M. Daley, Mayor

On September 14, 2004, Daley and union leaders — including the president of Chicago's police union — unveiled a monument by Chicago artist Mary Brogger, a fifteen-foot speakers' wagon sculpture echoing the wagon on which the labor leaders stood in Haymarket Square to champion the eight-hour day. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Richard Michael Daley (born April 24 1942 is a United States Politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " ^[78] The bronze sculpture, intended to be the centerpiece of a proposed "Labor Park", is meant to symbolize both the rally at Haymarket and free speech. The planned site was to include an international commemoration wall, sidewalk plaques, a cultural pylon, a seating area, and banners, but as of 2007 construction had not yet begun.

Gallery

Workers finish installing Gelert's statue of a Chicago policeman in Haymarket Square, 1889.

Two activists at the statue-less pedestal of the police monument on the 100th anniversary of the Haymarket affair in May 1986. The pedestal has since been removed.

Mary Brogger's 2004 Haymarket Memorial sculpture, facing south.

Plaque on the pedestal of Mary Brogger's Haymarket Memorial sculpture. Note that Mayor Richard M. Daley's name has been vandalized and the Seal of the City of Chicago[79] has been painted over by hand with a "circle-A," a symbol of anarchism. Richard Michael Daley (born April 24 1942 is a United States Politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of Symbols to political movement anarchists have embraced certain symbols for their cause

Notes and references

Bibliography

• Adelman, William J. [1976] (1986). Haymarket Revisited, 2nd edition, Chicago: Illinois Labor History Society. ISBN 0916884031.  
• Avrich, Paul (1984). Paul Avrich ( August 4, 1931 - February 16, 2006) was a professor and Historian. The Haymarket Tragedy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691006008.  
• Bach, Ira J. ; Mary Lackritz Gray (1983). A Guide to Chicago's Public Sculpture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226033996.  
• David, Henry [1936] (1963). The History of the Haymarket Affair: A Study of the American Social-Revolutionary and Labor Movements, 3rd edition, New York: Collier Books. OCLC 6216264. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose  
• Fireside, Bryna J. (2002). The Haymarket Square Riot Trial: A Headline Court Case. Berkeley Heights, N. J. : Enslow Publishers. ISBN 0766017613.  
• Foner, Philip S., ed. (1969). Philip S Foner ( December 14, 1910 - December 13, 1994) was a United States historian and author The Autobiographies of the Haymarket Martyrs. New York: Pathfinder Press. ISBN 0873488792.  
• Green, James R. (2006). Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0375422374.  
• Harris, Frank (1908). Frank Harris ( February 14, 1856 &ndash August 27, 1931) was a naturalised American Author of British origin editor, The Bomb. London: John Long. OCLC 2380272. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose Retrieved on 2008-01-19. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy.  
• Hucke, Matt; Ursula Bielski (1999). Graveyards of Chicago: The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries. Chicago: Lake Claremont Press. ISBN 0964242648.  
• Kvaran, Einar Einarsson. Haymarket - A Century Later (unpublished manuscript).  
• Riedy, James L. (1979). Chicago Sculpture: Text and Photographs. Urbana, Ill. : University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252012550.  
• Roediger, Dave; Franklin Rosemont, eds. David R Roediger ( July 13, 1952) is a professor of history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC (1986). Haymarket Scrapbook. Chicago: Charles H. Kerr Publishing. ISBN 0882861220.  
• Schaack, Michael J. (1889). Anarchy and Anarchists. A History of the Red Terror and the Social Revolution in America and Europe. Communism, Socialism, and Nihilism in Doctrine and in Deed. The Chicago Haymarket Conspiracy, and the Detection and Trial of the Conspirators. Chicago: F. J. Schulte & Co. OCLC 185637808. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose Retrieved on 2008-01-19. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy.  

See also

• Dyer Lum, close associate of the defendants who wrote an account of the case in 1891. Dyer Daniel Lum was a 19th-century American anarchist labor activist and poet
• Bay View Massacre (in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 5, 1886)
• May Day Riots of 1894
• First Red Scare of 1917-1920
• May Day Riots of 1919
• Palmer Raids of 1919
• Sacco and Vanzetti
• Wall Street Bombing of 1920

External links

• The US and Terror: Haymarket Riots, Critical Enquiry
• Haymarket Affair Digital Collection, Chicago Historical Society
• The Dramas of Haymarket, Chicago Historical Society
• The Haymarket Riot Trial, Famous Trials, University of Missouri–Kansas City Law School
• The Haymarket Affair (1886), Homicide in Chicago 1870-1930, Northwestern University
• The Haymarket Massacre Archive, Anarchy Archives
• Chicago Anarchists on Trial: Evidence from the Haymarket Affair 1886-1887, American Memory, Library of Congress
• 1886: The Haymarket Martyrs and Mayday, Libcom
• The Haymarket Martyrs, Illinois Labor History Society
• The Haymarket Tragedy, Illinois Labor History Society
• Haymarket Martyrs' Monument, Graveyards of Chicago

Encyclopedia of Chicago

• Haymarket and May Day
• Haymarket Riot Monument, 1889
• Haymarket Monument, Waldheim Cemetery
• Haymarket Memorial, 2005