1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: Hey, history enthusiasts, you get not one, but two events 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: in history today on with the show. Hello, Welcome to 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: this day in History class, where we flipped through the 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: book of history and bring you a new page every day. 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: The day was June eleventh, nineteen seventy one. After nineteen 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: months of protesting, the occupation of Alcatraz ended when federal 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: marshals removed the Native Americans who remained on the island. 8 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: Native oral histories referenced tribal use of Alcatraz Island, but 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: by the eighteenth century it was attracting the attention of Europeans. 10 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: In the mid eighteen hundreds, the U. S. Army began 11 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: to use Alcatraz Island to house military prisoners. Native Americans 12 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: who resisted the dominance and assimilation imposed by the U. S. 13 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: Government were also locked up on the island without any 14 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: legal proceedings. Other Native Americans who were tried in military 15 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: courts as prisoners of war were sentenced to time at Alcatraz. 16 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty four, the island operated as a US prison. 17 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: By March of nineteen sixty three, United States Penitentiary Alcatraz 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: Island closed due to financial and operating issues and a 19 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: declining reputation. The next year, a group of Native Americans 20 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: went to Alcatraz Island, claiming the property as Native land 21 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: based on the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The treaty, signed 22 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty eight, was an agreement between the United 23 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: States and Lakota, Dakota, and Arapaho people. The treaty provided 24 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: that the U s would return defunct federal lands to 25 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: Native American tribes. So when the group of about forty 26 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: Native Americans and supporters landed on Alcatraz Island in nineteen 27 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: sixty four, one of the protesters offered to pay forty 28 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: seven cents per acre to purchase the island, which was 29 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: the same amount of money that the state of California 30 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: had offered Native tribes for land claims based on eighteen 31 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: fifty three land values. Federal marshals removed the group from 32 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: the island, but this demonstration encouraged Native Americans in the 33 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: Bay Area to occupy Alcatraz. Years later, Native Americans began 34 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: advocating for the transformation of Alcatraz into a Native American 35 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: cultural center and school. The occupation of Alcatraz that began 36 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty nine was a part of the Red 37 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: Power movement. The movement grew out of opposition to the 38 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: US government dissolving treaty agreements, terminating recognition of more than 39 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: one hundred tribes as severeig dependent nations, and encouraging Native 40 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: Americans to leave reservations in traditional lands and assimilate into 41 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: urban areas. Calls for self determination and protests of the 42 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: government's treatment of Native Americans include issues of land rights abounded. 43 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: Since the federal government had abandoned Alcatraz, Native Americans claimed 44 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: they had a treaty right to file a claim on 45 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: the island or November nine, nineteen sixty nine, a group 46 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: of Native Americans gathered at Peer thirty nine in San Francisco, 47 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: and Mohawk activist Richard Oakes read a proclamation by the 48 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: Indians of all Tribes the name the activist group took 49 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: as a boat called the Monte Cristo took fifty passengers 50 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: to circle Alcatraz. Some of the people jumped off and 51 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: attempted to swim to the island. One person made it, 52 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: but the rest had to be rescued. After a fisherman 53 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: agreed to take some of the activists to the island. 54 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: Fourteen Native Americans ended up staying the night at Alcatraz, 55 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: but the occupation that lasted the longest began. On November twentieth, 56 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine, about ninety Native Americans went to Alcatraz 57 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: and set up a perm occupation, and they issued a proclamation. 58 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: The proclamation was addressed to the Great White Father and 59 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: all his people. In it, they offered twenty four dollars 60 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: in glass beads and red cloth to purchase Alcatraz Island. 61 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: The following is part of a proclamation that the Indians 62 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: of all tribes drew up. We will purchase said Alcatraz 63 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: Island for twenty four dollars in glass beads and red cloth, 64 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: a precedent set by the white man's purchase of a 65 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 1: similar island about three hundred years ago. We know that 66 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: twenty four dollars in trade goods for the sixteen acres 67 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: is more than was paid when Manhattan Island was sold. 68 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: But we know that land values have risen over the years. 69 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: Our offer of one dollar four cents per acre is 70 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,559 Speaker 1: greater than the forty seven cents per acre the white 71 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: men are now paying the California Indians for their land. 72 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: The proclamation continued this tiny island would be a symbol 73 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: of the great Land once ruled by free and noble Indians. 74 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: The Native Americans on the island established an elected council 75 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: in jobs on the island, there was a security force, 76 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: a nursery, a school, and health clinic, and other establishments. 77 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: Outside activists sent supplies for the occupation, and people sent 78 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: donations from around the country. A Dakota tribe member set 79 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: up Radio Free Alcatraz, which broadcast a daily program for 80 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: people to keep up with the occupation. The demonstrators called 81 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: for the deed to the island, a native university, a 82 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: cultural center, and a museum, but the U. S Government 83 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: wanted them off the island and did not agree to 84 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: these terms. Over the next several months, divisions arose in 85 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: the organization, and non native people began living on the island, 86 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: and in January of nineteen seventy, the step daughter of 87 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: Richard Oakes, a thirteen year old girl named Ivan Oaks, 88 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: died at Alcatraz after she fell off of a balcony. 89 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: The US entered a policy of non interference with the occupation, 90 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: but as leadership disintegrated, three occupiers were arrested and found 91 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: guilty of selling copper, and the press began publishing stories 92 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: of assault. The occupation began losing steam. The power and 93 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 1: telephone service was cut to Alcatraz, and at one point 94 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: a fire bird some of the buildings on the island. 95 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: People began leaving the island. On June eleven, nine, federal 96 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: marshals arrived armed on the island and arrested the last 97 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: fifteen occupiers. But over the course of the occupation, President 98 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: Richard Nixon announced an end determination and the return of 99 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: Blue Lake to the Taos Pueblo Native Americans. Occupied lands 100 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: near Davis, California, will become home to a Native American university. 101 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: Legislation was passed that supported tribal self rule. The occupation 102 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: also sparked other actions, like the occupation of Mount Rushmore 103 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: and Wounded Knee. The National Park Service opened Alcatraz to 104 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: the public in nineteen three. I'm Eves Jeff Coote, and 105 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today than 106 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. And if you're so inclined, you can 107 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: follow us at T d i h C Podcast on Instagram, Facebook, 108 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: and Twitter. And if you've been listening for the last 109 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: couple of weeks, then you know that I have a 110 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: new show called Unpopular. Unpopular is about people in history 111 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: who resisted and we're sometimes persecuted for it. Thanks again 112 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: for listening, and we'll see you tomorrow. Hey, y'all, I'm 113 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: Eaves and welcome to this dand History Class, a podcast 114 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: that flips through the book of history and tears out 115 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: single page. The day was June eleventh, eighteen thirty seven. 116 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: A riot broke out in Boston when a fire company 117 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: met an Irish funeral procession. The conflict is known as 118 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: the Broad Street Riot. Eighteen thirties, Boston was home to 119 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: a large number of immigrants. It was also home to 120 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: a large number of people who harbored anti immigrant and 121 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,719 Speaker 1: anti Catholic sentiments. Eighteen thirty seven specifically, also saw a 122 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: financial crisis that affected wages and unemployment. The competition for 123 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: jobs among working class people in the city heightened anti 124 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: immigrant sentiment. Many of the immigrants in Boston were Irish. 125 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: Some Bostonians and Protestants in the city directed their hostility 126 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: at the growing number of Irish immigrants. Conflict between Boston 127 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: born laborers and Irish laborers had become common. On June eleventh, 128 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: eighty seven, these tensions escalated into a riot between a 129 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: fire company and an Irish funeral procession. Firefighters in Boston 130 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: were mostly volunteers, and most of the volunteers were American 131 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: born Protestant men. These volunteer fire companies were extremely competitive 132 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: because the city paid the first one to arrive on 133 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: the scene of the fire. The companies were also known 134 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: for being rowdy, and many of the volunteers and the 135 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: fire companies were laborers who competed with the Irish for jobs. 136 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: At the same time, the Irish harbored some resentment for 137 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 1: the firefighters. When a Charlestown convent was burned down in 138 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: thirty four, many Irish people questioned why the firefighters had 139 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: refused to put it out. On the afternoon of June eleven, 140 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: Engine Company twenty returned from a fire at Roxbury to 141 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: their station on East Street. Most of the company went 142 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: to a nearby pub. The neighborhood they were in was 143 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: an Irish one, and when they left the pub, a 144 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: funeral procession of around five Irish people was making its 145 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: way past. A firefighter named George Fay reportedly started a 146 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: brawl with people in the procession, but the firefighters were 147 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: outnumbered and they soon went back to their station. The 148 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: procession then moved on. It's unclear exactly what happened next, 149 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 1: but the foreman of the fire company, W. W. Miller, 150 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: ordered the firefighters to bring their engine out and sound 151 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: the fire alarm. Bill Miller later said that he gave 152 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: the order when some irishmen tried to take over the 153 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: fire station and he feared they were trying to harm 154 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,439 Speaker 1: the company. According to the Boston Evening Transcript, a firefighter 155 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 1: went to another fire station and shouted, the Irish have 156 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,719 Speaker 1: risen upon us and are going to kill us. As 157 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: more fire companies responded to the alarm, the situation descended 158 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:50,359 Speaker 1: into chaos. One fire company collided with people in the procession, 159 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: causing injuries. Firefighters said it was an accident, while the 160 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: Irish said it was intentional. Regardless, a riot erupted. Irish 161 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: people came out of their homes to join the riot. 162 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: People attacked each other with sticks, stones, bricks, and other weapons. 163 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: The fighting peaked as the riot reached Broad Street. The 164 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: Irish were overpowered and they retreated to their homes, but 165 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: people on the firefighter's side proceeded to invade and vandalize 166 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: the homes. In the neighborhood. They broke windows and looted houses. 167 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: After a couple of hours, Mayor Samuel Elliott called in 168 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: the state militia and a cavalry company to quill the riot. 169 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: In the immediate aftermath, newspapers reported deaths, but there were 170 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: no confirmed deaths due to the riot. There were serious injuries, though, 171 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: and some people who may have died of those injuries. Later. 172 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: A lot of the district was destroyed. A grand jury 173 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: indicted fourteen irishmen and four Protestant men for rioting. All 174 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: four of the latter were acquitted, while three of the 175 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: Irishmen were sentenced to months of hard labor. By thirty eight, 176 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: the Boston Fire Department in Boston Police Department had been 177 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: establish I'm Eve Jeff Coote and hopefully you know a 178 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: little more about history today than you did yesterday. And 179 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 1: if you have any comments our suggestions, you can send 180 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: them to s via email at this day at I 181 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: heeart Media dot com. You can also hit us up 182 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: on social media where at T D I h C. Podcast. 183 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening to the show and we'll see 184 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: you tomorrow. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit 185 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: the iHeart radio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen 186 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 1: to your favorite show.