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The Resource The great Arizona orphan abduction, Linda Gordon

The great Arizona orphan abduction, Linda Gordon

Creator
Summary
  • In 1904, New York nuns brought forty Irish orphans to a remote Arizona mining camp to be placed with Catholic families. The Catholic families were Mexican, as was the majority of the population. Soon the town's Anglos, furious at this "interracial" transgression, formed a vigilante squad that kidnapped the children and nearly lynched the nuns and the local priest. The Catholic Church sued to get its wards back, but all the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled in favor of the vigilantes. The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction tells this disturbing and dramatic tale to illuminate the creation of racial boundaries along the Mexican border. Clifton-Morenci, Arizona, was a "wild west" boomtown, where the mines and smelters pulled in thousands of Mexican immigrant workers. Racial walls hardened as the mines became big business and whiteness became a marker of superiority. These already volatile race and class relations produced passions that erupted in the "orphan incident." To the Anglos of Clifton-Morenci, placing a white child with a Mexican family was tantamount to child abuse, and they saw their kidnapping as a rescue. Women initiated both sides of this confrontation. Mexican women agreed to take in these orphans, both serving their church and asserting a maternal prerogative; Anglo women believed they had to "save" the orphans, and they organized a vigilante squad to do it. In retelling this barely known piece of American history, Linda Gordon brilliantly re-creates and dissects the tangled intersection of family and racial values, in a gripping story that resonates with today's conflicts over the "best interests of the child."--Jacket flap
  • In 1904, New York nuns brought forty Irish orphans to a remote Arizona mining camp to be placed with Mexican Catholic families. The interracial conflict leads to conflict, violence and lengthy court battles
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
xii, 416 pages
Contents
  • Cast of principal characters
  • October 2, 1904, night : North Clifton, Arizona
  • September 25, 1904 : Grand Central Station, New York City
  • King Copper
  • October 1, 1904, 6:30 p.m. : Clifton Railroad Station
  • Mexicans come to the mines
  • October 1, 1904, around 7:30 p.m. : Sacred Heart Church, Clifton
  • The priest in the Mexican camp
  • October 2, 1904, afternoon : Morenci Square and Clifton Library Hall
  • The Mexican mothers and the Mexican town
  • October 2, 1904, evening : the hills of Clifton
  • The Anglo mothers and the company town
  • October 2, 1904, night : Clifton hotel
  • The strike
  • October 3-4, 1904 : Clifton drugstore and Library Hall, Morenci Hotel
  • Vigilantism
  • January 1905 : courtroom of the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court, Phoenix
  • Family and race
  • Epilogue
  • Maps. Sonoran Highlands mining region in 1903
  • Old Clifton/Morenci
Isbn
9780674360419
Instance
Label
The great Arizona orphan abduction
Title
The great Arizona orphan abduction
Statement of responsibility
Linda Gordon
Creator
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
  • In 1904, New York nuns brought forty Irish orphans to a remote Arizona mining camp to be placed with Catholic families. The Catholic families were Mexican, as was the majority of the population. Soon the town's Anglos, furious at this "interracial" transgression, formed a vigilante squad that kidnapped the children and nearly lynched the nuns and the local priest. The Catholic Church sued to get its wards back, but all the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled in favor of the vigilantes. The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction tells this disturbing and dramatic tale to illuminate the creation of racial boundaries along the Mexican border. Clifton-Morenci, Arizona, was a "wild west" boomtown, where the mines and smelters pulled in thousands of Mexican immigrant workers. Racial walls hardened as the mines became big business and whiteness became a marker of superiority. These already volatile race and class relations produced passions that erupted in the "orphan incident." To the Anglos of Clifton-Morenci, placing a white child with a Mexican family was tantamount to child abuse, and they saw their kidnapping as a rescue. Women initiated both sides of this confrontation. Mexican women agreed to take in these orphans, both serving their church and asserting a maternal prerogative; Anglo women believed they had to "save" the orphans, and they organized a vigilante squad to do it. In retelling this barely known piece of American history, Linda Gordon brilliantly re-creates and dissects the tangled intersection of family and racial values, in a gripping story that resonates with today's conflicts over the "best interests of the child."--Jacket flap
  • In 1904, New York nuns brought forty Irish orphans to a remote Arizona mining camp to be placed with Mexican Catholic families. The interracial conflict leads to conflict, violence and lengthy court battles
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Gordon, Linda
Dewey number
305.8/009791/51
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
Index
index present
LC call number
F819.C55
LC item number
G67 1999
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Clifton (Ariz.)
  • Catholic Church
  • Catholic Church
  • Catholic Church
  • Orphans
  • Kidnapping
  • Mexican Americans
  • Whites
  • Vigilantes
  • Kidnapping
  • Mexican Americans
  • Orphans
  • Race relations
  • Vigilantes
  • Whites
  • Arizona
  • Religiöser Konflikt
  • Rassenkonflikt
  • Arizona
Label
The great Arizona orphan abduction, Linda Gordon
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 321-404) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Cast of principal characters -- October 2, 1904, night : North Clifton, Arizona -- September 25, 1904 : Grand Central Station, New York City -- King Copper -- October 1, 1904, 6:30 p.m. : Clifton Railroad Station -- Mexicans come to the mines -- October 1, 1904, around 7:30 p.m. : Sacred Heart Church, Clifton -- The priest in the Mexican camp -- October 2, 1904, afternoon : Morenci Square and Clifton Library Hall -- The Mexican mothers and the Mexican town -- October 2, 1904, evening : the hills of Clifton -- The Anglo mothers and the company town -- October 2, 1904, night : Clifton hotel -- The strike -- October 3-4, 1904 : Clifton drugstore and Library Hall, Morenci Hotel -- Vigilantism -- January 1905 : courtroom of the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court, Phoenix -- Family and race -- Epilogue -- Maps. Sonoran Highlands mining region in 1903 -- Old Clifton/Morenci
Control code
ocm41285091
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
xii, 416 pages
Isbn
9780674360419
Lccn
99030984
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
System control number
  • (Sirsi) o41285091
  • (OCoLC)41285091
Label
The great Arizona orphan abduction, Linda Gordon
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 321-404) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Cast of principal characters -- October 2, 1904, night : North Clifton, Arizona -- September 25, 1904 : Grand Central Station, New York City -- King Copper -- October 1, 1904, 6:30 p.m. : Clifton Railroad Station -- Mexicans come to the mines -- October 1, 1904, around 7:30 p.m. : Sacred Heart Church, Clifton -- The priest in the Mexican camp -- October 2, 1904, afternoon : Morenci Square and Clifton Library Hall -- The Mexican mothers and the Mexican town -- October 2, 1904, evening : the hills of Clifton -- The Anglo mothers and the company town -- October 2, 1904, night : Clifton hotel -- The strike -- October 3-4, 1904 : Clifton drugstore and Library Hall, Morenci Hotel -- Vigilantism -- January 1905 : courtroom of the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court, Phoenix -- Family and race -- Epilogue -- Maps. Sonoran Highlands mining region in 1903 -- Old Clifton/Morenci
Control code
ocm41285091
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
xii, 416 pages
Isbn
9780674360419
Lccn
99030984
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
System control number
  • (Sirsi) o41285091
  • (OCoLC)41285091

Subject

Genre

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