Condemned Haymarket Anarchist (1886), by George Engel
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Condemned Haymarket Anarchist (1886), by George Engel
A labor protest took shape in 1886 at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois. The incident turned ugly following a bomb blast that claimed seven law enforcers’ lives, and the bombing severely wounded sixty-six others. Labor movements had organized demonstrations following the shooting of two protesting workers by the police officers. The incident had happened on the previous day. The authorities arrested eight people concerning the Haymarket incident, and they were all alleged to be members of anarchist political advocacies. The trials went on, and the court convicted the eight anarchists of the horrible riot despite the absence of evidence to cement the prosecutors’ charges. George Engel is one famous anarchist who believed in the necessity of violence to radicalize corrupt government controlled by the wealthy elites. George emigrated from Germany and struggled badly with the existing economic and political system due to his contrary views.
Upon his relocation to the United States in the year 1872, George worked as a craftsman. Hard economic times made it impossible for him to reap profits out of his business ventures, and believed it was a livelihood that was worth enjoying. Following machines’ invention, the chances of artisans to earn livelihood became slimmer and made their future look somewhat like dark to the craftsmen. George opted to move to the United States, as many people had claimed that it was indeed a land of opportunities. American was often viewed as a “free republic” and arguably the wealthiest country in the world. However, many working-class individuals strayed severely to make their life goals and seen as outcasts of society. There was no table set for numerous proletarians. George had witnessed people searching for food even in the garbage heaps across the streets to suppress their severe hunger.
Upon his arrival in Philadelphia in 1978, George struggled to make ends meet. He believed that things would have worked easier in Philadelphia in terms of livelihood than life in Germany, but George unsuccessfully tried to make a living. He was often disappointed, just like in Germany. He could now understand that there existed no difference to the pretorian worker working and living in the United States’ infamous cities, for example, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. When George first came to the United States, he expected it to be a free country, not to mention how it would influence him to make fortunes. The expectations were killed, and became disappointed in his very first days in the United States. To further his disappointments, George was often acquainted with a man in the factory he was working. He highlighted to George the reasons as to why they were undergoing difficulties and fruitless battles in their quest to achieve means of livelihood.
George state that he took part in politics with the absolute sincerity of a loyal countryman. However, he discovered that “free ballot box” teachings were conspiracies and mythical tales. To him, it was now clear that enslavement of workingmen economically means political suppression as well. In his opinion, working classes could no longer reshape society on matters of employment, useful life, and bread through the ballot. George joined a working union whose members had a firm conviction to liberate workers from the tyranny of capitalism through violent means. In his justification, George pointed out that even the United States’ first colonists could not have achieved liberty if they did not force it to happen, same as slavery abolishment. He believed that people who often seek justice for all or instead liberate the nation’s people are viciously executed. And why? Because the United States government was under individuals who have obtained power through dishonesty. Additionally, George claimed that the leaders at Washington had no rights whatsoever to enact and impose laws to the American public because they were aided by their money to get those positions instead of being elected by the people. Perhaps, there existed no rights for citizens and immigrants, not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world.
Consequently, George worked to create a social system that aimed to ban the few in the community to amass ridiculous wealth. At the same time, the vast majority of people suffer degradation and misery. He championed the machinery improvements to apply for all people’s benefit as opposed to the rich few elites. The law of nature seems to be working parallel with statute laws in that they deny the general public of their civil liberties and the pursuit of happiness. George was too determined to fight to bring down the social conditions that were in place. He wanted to combat a system that offered the bleeding ground for few individuals to rake and amass millions in a short period, at the same time, leaving the rest of the population in a state of deprivation and lack. Anarchy was no longer working to liberate humanity, and George campaigned all other means possible at their command to achieve civil rights apart from the ballot.
In conclusion, George claimed to have spitted some insightful words with his fellow convicts in various labor meetings. He was not reluctant to express his wishes that if every laborer possessed a bomb in their pockets, that would bring to an end of the capitalistic rule. In other others, George was convicted based on his wished to use any means to end capitalistic rule. George hated capitalistic rule as it was too faulty and wicked and could not guarantee better living conditions to the working class. Capitalistic papers ignored significant incidents that feature employees dying in mines due to faulty preparations by the wealthy owners of those mining businesses.
