The Haymarket Affair

The Haymarket Affair was a series of conflicts between labor protestors and police officers in Chicago that resulted in violence and bloodshed, but it certainly did not end there. The outcome of this incident resonated with supporters of the protests, and dramatically changed the course of history for workers; not only in Illinois but across the entire nation. The aftermath of this conflict can still be felt and even seen to this very day, due to the construction of two separate monuments in recognition of both the protestors and the law enforcement agents involved; this is referred to as the Haymarket Police Memorial Statue and Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument. This paper will trace the history of the Haymarket Affair and these two monuments created
On May 1st, 1886 tens of thousands of supporters flocked to Chicago with the hopes of making the city the epicenter of the movement. This day in history is also the root of the International Workers’ Day of May Day, more colloquially known as May Day (***). Of those in attendance include reformists, socialists, anarchists, labor union members, and typical workers combining to form a crowd of approximately 35,000 people (***). Over the next few days thousands of more workers joined the movement and several protests, strikes, parades, and rallies were held attracting the attention of the Chicago police department. On May 3rd, police responded to a protest at the McCormick Reaper Factory which was being led by well-known anarchist, August Spies (***). The strike was peaceful until a group of protestors attempted to confront the police which caused police to open fire on the crowd, causing the death of at least two people (***). During his trial, Spies testified that he “knew from experience of the past that this butchering of people was done for the express purpose of defeating the eight hour movement” (***). Regardless of the reason why the police opened fire, the protestors only grew angrier; leaving some to seek revenge. The next day, May 4th, some of these vindictive protestors began distributing fliers [see Figure 1.0] calling for a “mass meeting” in the Haymarket district
Johannes Gelert is a Danish sculptor that moved to the United States in the 1880’s that went on to receive numerous awards for his works, including a similar style statue bronze statue of Ulysses S. Grant (***). This monument was privately funded by the Union League Club of Chicago, and designed by Frank Batchelder from Minnesota. The Haymarket Police Memorial Statue depicts a bronze Chicago police officer with his right arm raised, standing on a pedestal with the phrase “In the name of the People of Illinois, I command peace” engraved into it [see Figures 2.0, 2.1]. This Haymarket Police Memorial Statue caused public anger and outrage, resulting in widespread vandalism over the next several decades. These vandals and anarchists alike forced the statue to be moved to several different locations at several different times throughout the course of