The Politics of Chicago have been dominated by controversy, corruption, turn-of-the-19th century businessmen, Irish Catholics, and Richard J. Daley and the Daley family. For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Set out below is an annotated listing of corporate leaders, who are or have been the head of large or successful business enterprises, or who are otherwise well known for their commercial acumen, listed alphabetically by last name. ... Irish Catholics is a term used to describe Irish people or people of Irish descent who adhere to the Roman Catholic faith. ... Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was the longest-serving mayor of Chicago. ... The Daley family is an American political family from Chicago that is deeply entrenched in a vast political machine system of Illinois. ...

History

19th century

In 1855, Chicago Mayor Levi Boone threw Chicago politics into the national spotlight with some interesting proposals that would lead to the Lager Beer Riot. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Levi Day Boone (born: December 6, 1808 in Kentucky; died: January 24, 1882; buried in Rosehill Cemetary) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1855-1856) on the Know-Nothing Party. ... The Lager Beer Riot took place in Chicago, Illinois in 1855 after Mayor Levi Boone, great-nephew of Daniel Boone, proposed an ordinance which would close taverns on Sundays and raise the cost of a liquor license from $50 to $300 per year. ...

During much of the last half of the 19th Century, Chicago's politics were dominated by a growing Democratic Party organization dominated by ethnic ward-heelers. During the 1880s and 1890s, Chicago also had a powerful radical tradition with large and highly organized socialist, anarchist and labor organizations.^[1] Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic...

The politics of Chicago came into play after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. For political reasons, a rumor was spread that a cow knocked over a lantern, thereby causing the fire. The election that year turned the fire into a "political football", with controversy erupting over who was culpable for the fire's rapid and insufficiently controlled spread. The winning party used allegations of mismanagement to spread fear, causing some voters to vote more than once. This would give rise to the famous saying "vote early and often." Artists rendering of the fire, by John R Chapin, originally printed in Harpers Weekly The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Chicago, Illinois. ... President Harrison political cartoon: What can I do when both parties insist on kicking? Political Football was also the name of a documentary about the rugby union 1971 Springbok tour to Australia. ...

20th century

The political environment in Chicago in the 1910s and 1920s let organized crime flourish to the point that many Chicago policemen earned more money from pay-offs than from the city. This same culture led directly to the Chicago Black Sox scandal of game fixing by the Chicago White Sox in 1919. Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1994-present) West Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (3) 2005 â€¢ 1917 â€¢ 1906 AL Pennants (6) 2005 â€¢ 1959 â€¢ 1919 â€¢ 1917 1906 â€¢ 1901 Central Division titles (2) [1] 2005 â€¢ 2000 West Division... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 16, 19, 42, 72 Name Chicago White Sox (1904–present) (Chicago) White Stockings (1901-1903 *From 1900 to 1903, the official name did not contain the city name of Chicago... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

The modern era of politics is still dominated by machine politics in many ways, and the Chicago Democratic Machine became a style honed and perfected by Richard J. Daley after his election in 1955. Further evidence of this is the fact that his son, Richard M. Daley, is the current mayor. This article is about the system of organization called a political machine. ... The Chicago Democratic Machine was a political machine led by former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. ... Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was the longest-serving mayor of Chicago. ... Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor of Chicago, Illinois. ...

Richard J. Daley's mastery of machine politics preserved the Chicago Democratic Machine long after the demise of similar machines in other large American cities.^[2] During much of that time, the city administration found opposition mainly from a liberal "independent" faction of the Democratic Party. The independents finally won control of city government in 1983 with the election of Harold Washington. Since Washington's death, Chicago has returned to the leadership of the Democratic organization led by Richard M. Daley, although it may differ from the previous ward-based organization, as it relies on other groups, such as the Hispanic Democratic Organization.^[3] In this 1899 cartoon from Puck, all of New York City politics revolves around boss Richard Croker A political machine is an unofficial system of a political organization based on patronage, the spoils system, behind-the-scenes control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. ... The Chicago Democratic Machine was a political machine led by former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. ... Harold Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death. ...

A point of interest is the party leanings of the city. For much of the last century, Chicago has been considered one of the largest Democratic strongholds in the United States. For example, the citizens of Chicago have not elected a Republican mayor since 1927, when William Thompson was voted into office. Today, only one city council member is Republican. GOP redirects here. ... William Hale Thompson campaigns for Mayor in 1917. ...

The police corruption that came to the light from the Summerdale Scandal of 1960, where police officers kept stolen property or sold it and kept the cash, was another black eye on the local political scene of Chicago.

The Daley faction, with financial help from Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., helped elect John F. Kennedy to the office of President of the United States in the 1960 presidential election. The electoral votes from the state of Illinois, with nearly half its population located in Chicago-dominated Cook County, were a deciding factor in the win for Kennedy over Richard Nixon. For other persons named Joseph Kennedy, see Joseph Kennedy (disambiguation). ... John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D. Eisenhowers two terms as President. ... Electoral votes by state/federal district, for the elections of 2004 and 2008 The United States Electoral College is a term used to describe the 538 President Electors who meet every 4 years to cast the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States; their votes represent... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Cook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... Nixon redirects here. ...

Chicago politics have also hosted some very publicized campaigns and conventions. The Democratic Party decided on Harry S. Truman as the vice-presidential candidate at the 1944 Democratic National Convention. The 1968 Democratic National Convention was the scene of mass political rallies and discontent, leading to the famous trial of the Chicago Seven. For other persons named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). ... The 1944 Democratic National Convention was held at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois from July 19 - July 21, 1944. ... The 1968 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1968, for the purposes of choosing the Democratic nominee for the 1968 U.S. presidential election. ... For the similarly named Chicago album, see Chicago VII. The Chicago Seven The Chicago Seven were seven (originally eight, when they were known as the Chicago Eight) defendants charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot and other charges related to violent protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois on the occasion...

Notes

References

• Lindberg, Richard Carl. To Serve and Collect: Chicago Politics and Police Corruption from the Lager Beer Riot to the Summerdale Scandal : 1855-1960. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991. ISBN 0-275-93415-2
• Cohen, Adam. and Elizabeth Taylor. American Pharaoh : Mayor Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Boston: Back Bay Books, 2001. ISBN 0-316-83489-0
• Green, Paul M.. The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1987. ISBN 0-8093-2612-4
• Sautter, R. Craig, Edward M. Burke. Inside the Wigwam : Chicago Presidential Conventions, 1860-1996. Chicago: Loyola Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8294-0911-4
• Simpson, Vernon. Chicago's Politics & Society: a Selected Bibliography. DeKalb: Center for Government Studies, DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois University, 1972.
• Wendt, Lloyd, Herman Kogan, and Bette Jore. Big Bill of Chicago. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 2005 ISBN 0-8101-2319-3
• Wendt, Lloyd, and Herman Kogan. Lords of the Levee. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1967.

External links

• Essay on Chicago politics by Maureen A. Flanagan @ the Chicago Historical Society's Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago
• Machine Politics essay by Roger Biles @ the Chicago Historical Society's Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago