The Haymarket Affiar

Albert Parson was an orator, anarchist, and labor activist who fought for the rights of workers in Chicago. Known for his fiery enthusiasm, Parsons led many of the demonstrations leading up to the Haymarket Rally and spoke at the Rally itself. Although he had left with his family before the violence started, he was still found guilty of the incident and sentenced to death. Even though he could likely have been pardoned if he asked, Parsons refused to do so, believing it would admit guilt on behalf of the labor movement.

The Gilded Age and Progressive Era proved a violent time in Chicago. One of the most polarizing events happened on May 4, 1886. A day after Pinkerton detectives shot striking laborers outside the McCormick Reaper factory, union activists and laborers met in Haymarket Square for a public rally with many leading members of Chicago's labor movement speaking. About three hours after the event started, a large number of police officers arrived, declared the rally was illegal, and ordered the crowds to disperse.

At this moment, an unknown person threw a bomb into the rows of officers, instantly killing several. In response, the police opened fire, shooting everyone in front of them. 7 labor activists and anarchists were arrested afterword for planning or speaking at the event and four were sentenced to death.

The alleged bomb maker, Louis Lingg, unacquainted with any of his other defendents was also sentenced to death but committed suicide the night before his execution with a blasting cap. The small explosion blew off his lower jaw but did not kill him for several hours.

The events of Haymarket, called both a riot and massacre, is considered today by many to be a tragedy and injustice. At the time, it further strained tensions labor and the police and factories, escalating an already violent situation and diving public opinion for years to come.

An artist's rendering of the moment the bomb went off, instantly killing several police officers. At this point, police open fired, discipline forgotten in the panic and destruction. One officer later admitted that many of the police injuries were self-inflicted as officers shot each other in the confusion. In the end, 19 people were killed and well over 60 injured. 4 anarchists were executed for their part in organizing and speaking at the event even though no evidence has ever linked them to the bombing itself.

This monument was put up 3 years after the Haymarket Affair. Since then, it has been blown up several times, hit by a streetcar, and defaced on numerous occasions until it was moved out of the public spotlight into Chicago's Police Academy. A few years ago, the statue returned outside, this time on a new base that proclaims peace and does not mention Haymarket.