San Francisco Vigilance Committee

San Francisco Vigilance Committee

Was the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856 an unselfish citizen effort to found law as well as monastic enjoin or was it a cleverly disguised conspiracy to arrive at political power? Although opinions may differ, it appears that, after disbanding the committee, several of its members ran for component division every bit Republicans rather than the political party that created the Vigilance Committee to promote itself.

San Francisco tin endure seen every bit a lesson inward what happens when people neglect to perform their civic duties. Many tried “to larn rich quick,” neglecting world affairs, including jury duty, then alone those amongst an ulterior motive tended to serve on juries. For example, justice was ofttimes perverted when the alone willing jurors were friends of the accused.

On the other hand, a instance may endure made that partisan politics was the telephone substitution motivating component inward San Francisco. With the Whigs defunct, Democrats divided over slavery, as well as Know-Nothings offensive to close voters (despite their having elected Governor J. Neely Johnson inward 1855), a vacuum welcomed a novel party, the Republicans. All that those amongst political ambitions needed was to honour a cause, as well as the number of law as well as monastic enjoin provided that.

Life was turbulent inward San Francisco during the gilt rush as well as early on days of independence from Mexico. Without rigid government, gangs roamed the streets, demanded gratis drinks, as well as abused the Latino community.


On xv July 1849, when a bunch of ruffians launched a raid against the Chilean neighborhood, 230 men retaliated. They took the law into their ain hands, formed a exceptional police describe force, arrested the gang, elected ii novel judges, as well as appointed a novel district attorney.

Two years later, after law as well as monastic enjoin was over again neglected, 700 men banded together every bit the Vigilance Committee of 1851 to supplement local law enforcement. But, inside a curt fourth dimension after the grouping disbanded, the province of affairs returned to close anarchy. Arson, murder, as well as election fraud continued to larn unpunished.

Two item events sparked world concern. On nineteen Nov 1855, a gambler, Charles Cora, shot as well as killed pop U.S. Marshal General William H. Richardson. Cora was apprehended but remained inward jail pending trial.

Then, on fourteen May 1856, San Francisco Supervisor James P. Casey, publisher of the San Francisco Lord's Day Times, shot as well as killed James King, noted banker as well as publisher of a contender newspaper, the Daily Evening Bulletin. Casey surrendered as well as sought protective custody inward the county jail.

Mayor Van Ness asked a menacing crowd gathering exterior the jail to disperse as well as ordered 300 armed volunteers, the Light Dragoons, the National Lancers, as well as the First California Guard to environs the expanse as well as protect Casey from the mob.

During this demonstration King’s bodyguards as well as about members of the 1851 committee, led past times William T. Coleman, met secretly inward the chambers of the Society of California Pioneers, forming the Vigilance Committee of 1856.

They required candidates to consummate an application, to obtain the sponsorship of ii members, to pay a fee from $1 to $20, to consider the approving of a Qualifications Committee, as well as to swear an oath of allegiance.

Many Catholics, who did non wishing to bring together a undercover society, swore a exceptional oath non to accept upward arms against the committee, piece 1,500 merchants as well as service providers every bit good every bit lawyers as well as clergymen joined. They used undercover signs, grips, as well as passwords, responded to an alert bell, as well as marched together waving banners.

For to a greater extent than than 3 months the commission enforced its construct of law as well as order. It fix courtroom as well as maintained a jail inward its downtown headquarters fortified amongst sandbags as well as ii artillery pieces.

It tried as well as hanged 4 people, including Casey as well as Cora, contributed to the suicide of another, tried as well as incarcerated a patch supreme courtroom justice for stabbing i of its members, posted a $5,000 vantage for the arrest of arsonists, as well as banished numerous rapists, thieves, abortionists, as well as ballot-box stuffers.

Casey as well as Cora hanged past times San Francisco Vigilance Committee

The 5,000-man regular army captured 4 metropolis armories as well as a shipping loaded amongst weapons from a U.S. arsenal, as well as boarded all vessels entering San Francisco Harbor, excluding ninety pct of prospective immigrants.

On xviii August 1856, the commission disbanded, opened its tastefully decorated headquarters to visitors, as well as concluded amongst an all-day parade through the streets of San Francisco. It returned all the arms it had taken from the city, county, as well as state, as well as on 3 November, Governor J. Neely Johnson lifted his insurrection proclamation.

The commission failed inward its examine to schedule a patch constitutional convention as well as gibe exceptional county elections, but about of its members won world component division every bit members of the novel Republican Party inward Nov 1856, ensuring their amnesty from prosecution.