Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856
- Abstract:
- This collection contains letters and documents related to the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856, a vigilante group that formed in San Francisco, California, and functioned for five months. The letters and documents are related to individuals making charges or giving information about suspects or prisoners to the group.
- Extent:
- 3,750 items
- Language:
- The records are in English .
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains letters and documents related to individuals making charges or giving information about suspects or prisoners to the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856. It also contains completed applications for membership, lists of members and members of the executive committee, and financial documents. More specifically the collection contains material related to the murders of James King, the assault of Sterling Hopkins by Judge David S. Terry, abstracts from the files of the Recorders Court and Court of Sessions, showing the most important arrests by the city police, 1853 to 1856, and Report by the Grand Jury on county affairs for the term ending June 1, 1856
- Biographical / historical:
-
The San Francisco Committees of Vigilance of 1851 and 1856 were formed when crime became widespread in the city of San Francisco in the wake of the Gold Rush. In 1856, the murder of James King of William sparked the reactivation of vigilante activities. King, a San Francisco newspaper editor, was shot by James. P. Casey, a corrupt official, after King attacked Casey in the columns of his paper. Immediately 10,000 men hastened to join the vigilantes, and William T. Coleman was again chosen as leader. Opposition to the vigilance committee was led by California Supreme Court Justice David S. Terry, but the efforts of his group were largely ineffective. The "Great Committee" of the vigilantes functioned for five months, then surrendered its powers to a regularly constituted civil authority.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from Augustin S. MacDonald in 1916 and Sigurd Frederickson in 1931.
- Arrangement:
-
Although the collection has been sorted, it essentially remains uncataloged. It includes 10 boxes, six bound volumes, and 1 rolled item.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191