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Markers of Distinction

John Peter Altgeld
1847–1902
Lawyer and Governor of Illinois

As a lawyer, judge and governor of Illinois,
John Peter Altgeld courageously advocated
justice and fairness—even when it meant
taking on unpopular causes.

The child of a German immigrant family,
Altgeld moved to Chicago in 1875 and
established a law practice. His career in
public service began in 1886, when he was
elected judge of the Superior Court of Cook County.

Elected governor in 1892, Altgeld confronted a wide range of controversial social issues. During his four years in office he actively supported prison reform, the abolition of child labor, the expansion of the state university and the appointment of women to positions of authority in state government.

Altgeld’s fame rests largely on his decision in 1893 to pardon the three surviving defendants in the Haymarket trial of 1886 on the grounds that they had not received a fair trial.

Equally notable was his opposition to President Grover Cleveland’s decision to send federal troops to Chicago to break the Pullman strike of 1894.

Although motivated by constitutional and humanitarian ideals, Altgeld’s decisions caused a large segment of the public and press to regard him as a political renegade, thereby ending his political career. Returning to private life in 1897, he moved into this stone-fronted apartment building at 504 West Diversey Parkway and attempted to re-establish his legal career with his partner, Clarence Darrow.

It was not until decades after his death in 1902 that Altgeld’s principles and courage became more widely appreciated.