Last July, I
wrote an article
about how two huge publishing empires were almost brought to a standstill by a
group of impoverished teenage boys. It is only one of many stories behind numerous events and industries.
Through
sheer, dogged determination, the little guys can and do win. That’s
all there is to it. Unexpected success happens; we just don’t always hear about
it. It’s the people who never say never that win the race. The gold medal doesn’t
always go to the athlete with the most obvious resources. It often goes to the
survivor who overcame childhood polio and deformity, injury, and chronic
illness. (Please see these stories, and more, in my book, Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the
Odds.)
Blood Feuds
This a reality
mini-series on American Heroes Channel. Each episode deals with an iconic
rivalry in American history. One episode featured the battles between William Poole (aka Bill the Butcher) and
John Morrissey. Both of these men lived in the poorest, most dangerous part
of New York City, Five Points, in the
mid 1800’s.
This area was a dropping ground for the poorest of the poor. That meant it was a seething cauldron of immigrants and lawless, able-bodied men who really made their living through violence.
In fact,
Five Points was so dangerous that there wasn’t a big police presence. Policing the area must have felt like a death sentence. Therefore, residents
meted out their own kind of justice.
William Poole was a butcher by trade. He was also
the head of a nationalistic gang called The
Bowery Boys. Let’s just say that his skills with a knife came in handy.
Hundreds of
immigrants were pouring into his neighborhood from Ireland at that time due to
the potato famine. These were often poor Irish farmers who no longer had a way to make a living, or enough food to eat, in their own country. They were
penniless.
People like Poole, called Nativists, resented anyone
who wasn’t white, Protestant, and born in America. Since the majority of the local
newcomers were Irish, the Bowery Boys especially had a vendetta against
everything they stood for: their religion, their culture, and their presence in
the Bowery Boys’ cherished country.
John Morrissey was a recently arrived Irish Catholic
immigrant. He was a burly professional boxer. From the beginning, he crossed
swords with Bill the Butcher. One of his first feats was to boldly step into
the bar frequented by Nativists like Poole and challenge anyone and everyone to
a fight. America was his country now,
too. He was willing to fight for his rightful place.
He knew that
the Irish would get no respect if they didn’t go on the offensive. So, he
launched a counterattack to bigotry immediately upon his arrival in New York
City. He finally succeeded in making the voting process more equitable.
He didn’t
become a hero the easy way. The Bowery Boys and Morrissey’s gang, The Dead Rabbits (?! Historians still
don’t know the meaning of the name), were constantly at odds. They made the
Five Points neighborhood a literal battle ground. The butcher and the newcomer
took turns winning and losing tremendous struggles. Poole seemed to have the
upper hand when he beat Morrissey so badly that it took him a month to heal.
But, wait;
that’s not all! This story ends with a surprising win for the underdog. William Poole was killed, and John Morrissey
went on to become a successful politician. He became a member of Congress.
This
underdog overcame poverty, bigotry, and a lack of education. He became a hero
to Irish Catholics throughout the country.
My Conclusion
“…Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature;
because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”--1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)
These are turbulent
times of widening gaps between viewpoints and the level of resources. That’s
why it’s helpful to remember that the little guys really do win. Big time!!!!!
How have you
won unexpectedly?
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