I’ve recently been reading up on the history of the Blackstone Rangers, the gang whose criminal entanglements contributed greatly to the post-1965 increase in Chicago’s homicide rate. In the course of my research, I started wondering about how the Rangers’ impact on the Second City compared to that of Al Capone’s organization. I had long […]
Entries Tagged as 'dueling'
Casketville
September 9th, 2010 · 8 Comments
Tags:Chicago·crime·dueling·Florida·Jacksonville·murder·Prohibition
Demanding Satisfaction, to a Young Nation’s Detriment
August 20th, 2010 · 5 Comments
It doesn’t take much imagination to mock Kentucky’s oath of office, which contains this gloriously anachronistic bit of verbiage: I do further solemnly swear (or affirm) that since the adoption of the present Constitution, I, being a citizen of this State, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this State nor out of […]
The Congressional Culture of Violence
February 2nd, 2010 · 4 Comments
While today’s Congressional politics may seem somewhat distasteful to fans of decorum, Capitol Hill’s past is full of far more vicious conflict between ideological opposites. As noted in this New York Times report from 1856, the people’s representatives were once none-too-shy about resorting to the gun or sword when positions seemed irreconcilable—though, to the American […]
Tags:Bladensburg Dueling Grounds·Congress·dueling·Maryland·politics·U.S. history