Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1989
In looking at some of the vintage toys at the Dorchester Historical Society, we came across the little red schoolhouse. It turns out that the schoolhouse was a political statement and not a toy.
There is a typed description: This is one of the 3,000 or more miniature red schoolhouses carried by the paraders on canes and umbrellas in what is known as the Red Schoolhouse Parade at East Boston, Mass., on the afternoon of July 4th, 1895, by the Patriotic Sons of America. The paraders, dressed in citizens clothes but gaily decorated with American flags and strips of bunting, paraded behind a large float representing the Red Schoolhouse with Uncle Sam coming from its open door and guarding it.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, the one-room school became a symbol of loyalty to the United States, especially among those who were opposed to immigration. Jonathan Zimmerman in his book Small Wonder says that by the 1890s nativist groups like the American Protective Association had adopted the little red schoolhouse as their official insignia. The American Protective Association was a successor to the Know-Nothing Party (Dorchester’s own Henry Gardner had been elected governor in earlier years as a candidate of the Know-Nothing Party). In 1895 the APA proposed marching in the 4th of July parade in East Boston. Their application was denied by the parade organizers, but following an appeal to the governor, they were allowed to participate in the parade. The APA marchers joined with other nativists behind a Little Red Schoolhouse float.
Members of the Irish immigrant community knew that although the Little Red Schoolhouse parade was described as a demonstration of loyalty and faith in America, it was intended to provoke anti-Catholic sentiment. The Boston Daily Globe reported the next day: “Red Schoolhouse Parade — Murder Mars Her Holiday — East Boston’s “Red Schoolhouse” Parade resulted in two riots. One man is dead, Another is dying, and many others are seriously injured as the result of the exciting battles in the crowded streets.”
After the riot the Rev. Justin Fulton in Somerville in the course of a sermon, devoted twenty minutes’ time to denouncing the action of the mob at East Boston recently, when the “little red schoolhouse” parade was attacked. He charged that the conduct of the rioters, whom he claimed were Roman Catholics, was due to their training at the parochial schools. In part he said: “The conduct of the men and women who assaulted the procession that carried the little red schoolhouse, and represented the principles for which our fathers fought in ’76, furnishes a terrible commentary upon the character of the religion of Rome.”
Well before the color red became associated with Communism, indeed, nativists linked it to Catholicism. “The Baptist does not believe in the red had, but does believe in the little red schoolhouse,” declared a Baptist leader in 1895, warning against “papal” influences in education.
We don’t know if our little red schoolhouse belonged to a Dorchester person who marched in the parade or if it may have been preserved by a collector who knew it would be a symbol of being on the wrong side of history.
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